Jurassic Soul
by soul-of-spades
Summary: When Jurassic World's scientists cook up a hybrid dinosaur with a mind of its own, Soul Evans is forced to work alongside his ex-girlfriend and well-known paleontologist, Maka Albarn. Together they set out on a mission to find his missing nephews, all the while facing sexual tension, anger, confusion, love, grief, and obstacles of the Jurassic variety. Lord pray for them both.
1. Chapter 1

Hello~

This my entry for Soul Eater Resonance Bang 2015!

 **Jurassic Soul**

When Jurassic World's scientists cook up a hybrid dinosaur with a mind of its own, Soul Evans is forced to work alongside his ex-girlfriend and well-known paleontologist, Maka Albarn. Together they set out on a mission to find his missing nephews, all the while facing sexual tension, anger, confusion, love, grief, and obstacles of the Jurassic variety. Lord pray for them both.

 **Pairing:** SoMa

 **Rating:** PG13

 **Warnings:** Language, minor character death, violence, gore, blood, and emotional trauma that deals with grief

Huge shout out to my artists feather97 and RegentShaw (hashpaw on tumblr). They are unbelievably talented, creating beautiful artwork for this story that has literally brought tears to my eyes. No words can describe how grateful I am for having them as partners. They are so great! I also 100% recommend you check out their work! It'll blow your mind!

Another shout out to all of my lovely betas that helped me along. You know who you are and you are AMAZING! Nuff said.

Now, without further ado, my (problem child) resbang~

* * *

 _Crack. Crack. Crack._

"Ah, it's time then."

Professor Stein watched a single black claw slip through a crack in the eggshell, followed by a small chirp. The claw rushed to peel more of the shell away, revealing a small, yellow eye. It opened its outer lid and stared boldly through the reinforced glass. Stein held his breath once its head breached the egg, its stare still unwavering.

The little creature was white with a strange eye-like marking on the crown of its head. Unique protrusions that Stein was torn between classifying as spines or horns covered the back of its head and down its neck. Its jaw looked big and strong, though its teeth were crooked. It had well-developed forelimbs as opposed to the Tyrannosaur, and they even came well equipped with talons and opposable thumbs. No matter how many times he had imagined it, this was so much better; the creature was simply terrifying.

He sighed in relief, nearly forgetting that he was holding his breath, once the creature's attention went back to working its way out of the egg. It had set its sights on something it wanted to eat: him. That stare was meant for prey and it rattled Stein a little more than he would like to admit. Luckily, the little bugger was harmless at this age, and Stein was well-protected on the other side of the glass.

"He's beautiful."

Stein turned and met the sharp eyes of his employer, Medusa Gorgon. She rarely got too involved with her _assets,_ so her presence surprised him. Now that he thought about it, however, she had been working rather closely with the ASURA project she had assigned him months ago. The idea of a genetically modified dinosaur had apparently piqued her interest, and he was more than happy to lead the project in the name of science. He really couldn't help himself, actually. No matter how bad the idea may have seemed.

Stein regarded her with a shrug. "He wasn't designed to be beautiful."

"Yes, I know. Just how deadly is he?"

"Well, his base genome is Tyrannosaurus, though he was designed to be bigger. I added some other species into the mix too, which I can't say while we're on camera." He paused and pointed to the surveillance camera above them. "That's classified information, as you know. All in all, I'd say he's about as deadly as they come. Absolutely terrifying."

Medusa grinned. "Excellent. He should make a fine addition to the park."

"I suggest we take extreme precautions while handling him. It's possible that he may be fairly intelligent."

Medusa scoffed and shook her head. "He's just an animal. I think we can handle him."

Stein nodded and peered through the glass once more, raising a brow. "Huh, not even a few minutes old and he's already hatched. And now it looks like he's taking an interest to his sister."

"The replacement? We have no need for her now. He's what I want."

Stein watched little Asura一the project's name should suit the little beast, he decided一toddle over to his sister's egg. She was struggling to break the shell, clearly weaker than her brother, and chirped at him as if to say _help me_. Asura merely tilted his head. A second later, that little chirp escalated into a blood curdling scream.

Stein cringed. Little Asura had decided to help his sister by breaking through the shell and latching onto her throat to drag her out. Her cries of agony were hard to listen to, even for a man with Stein's composure. He watched the nest slowly turn into a bloodbath as Asura settled on eating his sister alive once she was out of the egg. The creature's cruelty truly knew no bounds.

Eventually the crying stopped and an eerie silence washed over the room.

"He's absolutely perfect," Medusa said suddenly. "What do we call him?"

"He's an Indominus Rex. I like to refer to him as Asura, though."

Medusa's smile was almost cruel. "Asura. I like it."

They just stood there, watching Asura feast on his sister's carcass. The little beast was gorging himself. Stein could see the sibling's ribs start to poke through the flesh already; Asura was monstrous. He started to ravage the bone as well, chewing on it like a dog with a rawhide.

Suddenly there was no doubt in Stein's mind.

This had been a really, _really_ bad idea.

* * *

"Gabriel, it's time to go! Your flight leaves in two hours!"

Gabriel Evans lined up his dinosaur figurines one by one, entertaining the idea of them springing to life right before his very eyes. It was a dream, he realized, that was about to come true.

His mother, Elicia Evans, strolled into his room and crossed her arms. "Are you ready?"

Gabriel shook his head and said, "Just a second."

He reached into his dresser and pulled out a pendant dear to his heart. At first glance, it looked like nothing special. Just a chain with a sharp claw dangling from it. It looked like a cheap souvenir, but it was so much more than that.

When his mother saw it, a delicate smile graced her face. "Your father's lucky necklace, huh?"

Gabriel nodded sheepishly. "I want him to see the dinosaurs too. I think he's tired of bones."

"Yeah, I think so too. The live ones would have blown his mind. And don't forget he'd want to keep an eye on Uncle Soul too. Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

Gabriel smiled, if only a little. His mom talking about his dad in past tense tended to put a damper on his mood. "Uncle Soul always finds trouble."

Elicia sighed. "Don't I know it. Now, it's time to get a move on. You have everything now?"

"Yep."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get your little butt in the car."

Gabriel grinned and ran out to the car, only stopping to give his brother, Jesse, a wary look. Jesse was sixteen, six years older than him, and was trapped in his obsessive girlfriend's embrace. Gabriel stuck his tongue out in disgust and threw his suitcase in the trunk.

"I'm going to miss you," Jesse's girlfriend cooed, while Jesse had the most disinterested look on his face.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too," he said with mock enthusiasm.

"Remember to send me lots of pictures! And text me when you get a chance."

She ran her hands through his blonde hair and Jesse flinched back instinctively. It didn't matter if he was clearly uncomfortable, Jesse thought, because she was too busy ogling him to notice. Typical.

Elicia got in the car, followed by Gabriel, and honked the horn. "Wrap it up, Jess. We have to go."

Jesse gripped his girlfriend by the shoulders and said, "I gotta go so, uh, see ya." Jesse then jogged to the car without so much as a kiss goodbye and decided he liked it better that way.

"O-Okay," she called after him. "Call me when you land!"

"Sure!" He was so going to play the bad reception card.

"Alright, boys," Elicia said with a smile. "Your dinosaur adventure awaits!"

Gabriel squealed with glee while Jesse rolled his eyes and took sanctuary in his iPod and headphones.

* * *

They arrived at the airport an hour later; Gabriel was jumping up and down with delight while Jesse was still clinging to his iPod, looking bored.

 _I can't believe this is actually happening_ , Gabriel thought.

 _I can't wait for this to all be over_ , Jesse thought in contrast.

Elicia was beaming at them with tears in her eyes. They would be gone for an entire week, leaving her alone at the house. Quite a few mothers would be ecstatic at the idea of having a week to themselves, but not Elicia. She'd be lonely without her boys. Without Wes…

"Mom, why are you crying?"

"God, Mom, you're making a scene."

Elicia smiled and wiped away the tears. "It's nothing, sorry. Do you have your tickets?"

Gabriel held them up. "Uhuh, can we go now?"

"Yeah, in a minute. Hand those to your brother. Jess. Jesse! Enough with those headphones already!" She tugged them away from his ear and ignored his scowl. "Take the tickets, please."

"Yeah, yeah." He swiped them from Gabriel's hand. "I got them. Shouldn't we be going now?"

As if on cue, their flight number rang out over the loudspeaker. Only an hour before their plane took off; they were cutting it close.

"Well, there's your answer." Elicia said as she fiddled with Gabriel's collar. "Alright boys, this is it. You're both going to have so much fun. Oh, and remember, if something chases you...run."

Gabriel's eyes grew wide and Jesse scoffed. "Real funny, Mom."

"Thanks, I try. Now go, both of you. I don't want you to miss your flight."

They both nodded and turned to walk away, but before leaving their mother's sight, she yelled, "Bye! I love you!"

Jesse pinked a little, embarrassed, while Gabriel called back with a grin. "We love you too!"

Elicia smiled brightly as she watched her boys disappear into the crowd by security. Jesse grabbed Gabriel's sleeve and dragged him out of sight after their little love exchange, which she found comical. _Teenagers_ , she thought. _They're all so fickle._ She turned to leave, letting one tear slip.

 _Oh Wes_ , _please watch over them,_ she pleaded. It was going to be a long, lonely week.

* * *

"Gabe, _slow_ down."

"Come on, Jess! We're almost there!"

"Do you even hear what I'm saying?"

"Nope. _Come on!_ "

Jesse sighed in defeat and picked up the pace. "You're killing me, y'know that?"

The ferry they hitched a ride on after their little American Airlines adventure had taken them from Costa Rica to their final destination: Isla Nublar. The home of Jurassic World. They were climbing the stairs leading away from the loading docks, marching along with a crowd of people from all over the world. They definitely weren't in New York anymore.

" _Hurry!_ "

Gabriel had rushed ahead without a second thought, leaving his bewildered brother in his wake. Jesse did _not_ sign up to be a babysitter, but that's exactly what he was right now. He didn't even want to come here in the first place, but his mother insisted that he get out of the house and _have some fun_ for a change. Jesse thought his video games and computer hacking programs were a good enough source of entertainment, not some over-exaggerated, dinosaur theme park. That was Gabe's cup of tea, not his. He wanted nothing to do with this place.

And Jesse wanted nothing to do with his no-show uncle either.

"Jess, look!"

He blinked. He hadn't made it to the top of the stairs yet but Gabriel was already up there, looking around wildly. He gave no effort to move faster, though. Gabriel could throw a fit if he wanted, but it wouldn't get Jesse up these stairs any sooner.

" _Look!_ Oh my god, you're so slow." Gabriel's blue eyes cut deeply into his own, almost menacingly. Well, as menacing as a ten year old could be.

"Relax, I'm almost there," Jesse grunted. He cleared the last step and looked on ahead to where Gabriel was pointing with great enthusiasm. What he saw was too great for words.

Gabriel smirked. "Whaddya say to that, Jesse? Still think this place is _uncool?_ "

A large stone gate with wooden doors and lit torches towered over them a ways ahead, branded with the park's name _Jurassic World_ at the top. It was a grand sight, he had to admit, but what he saw beyond that is what floored him.

A dinosaur. A living, breathing dinosaur. It had this ridiculously long neck and was taller than their house, he was pretty sure. It munched on the leaves at the very tops of the trees behind the gate, blending in with the jurassic scenery rather nicely. All he and Gabriel could see was its neck and head. He couldn't even see the whole thing, yet he was in awe.

"That's an apatosaurus. Kinda like the brachiosaurus but smaller. Cool, huh?" Gabriel had probably butchered the thing's name exponentially but Jesse was too stunned to care.

So _this_ was what his father always dreamed about. It made more sense now.

Gabriel grinned at the look on Jesse's face. "Welcome to Jurassic World," he said, mimicking the tone of the cheesy welcoming mantra the speakers had played over and over again at the docks.

Welcome to Jurassic World, indeed.

* * *

Maka hated flying. It was official.

The helicopter veered to the right and she squirmed in her seat, holding onto whatever she could with an iron grip. She was known to be reckless and full of courageーthat's what her colleagues had said, at leastーbut this flying death trap had worn her down to a bundle of nerves. Her hand clamped over her mouth as her face turned pale. She was going to be sick.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the pilot asked without an ounce of actual concern in his voice. It sounded more mechanical than sincere.

"Yeah, just dandy," Maka lied.

"We're going to land in a minute. I would tell ya to fasten your seatbelt, but if you tighten it anymore than you already have you might just pop."

It was a joke. She tightened her seatbelt anyway.

"Here we go. Hold on tight."

When they started to descend, Maka bit her lip hard and watched her knuckles turn white. She needed to focus on something else, like why she had decided to come to this wretched island in the first place. She had told herself for years and years that she would never be caught _dead_ here, but they were so damn persistent.

The park had called her over a week ago. She ignored the first fifty calls before she finally picked up, listening to them going on and on about something they called an Indominus Rex. A hybrid dinosaur. The first of its kind. Highly unpredictable and dangerous. And they wanted _her_ to research and document its behavior before they opened its enclosure to the public.

Maka refused at first, exclaiming her disgust for the park and what it stood for. But then they talked about the beast's impressive intellect and menacing aggression, how it ate its own sibling and had been raised in isolation. That's when she read in between the lines, _read_ all the danger hidden there. And then she thought about _him_ , of all people, and she reluctantly agreed. _God_ , she gave in so easily. What a foolish thing to do.

The ghost of a woman, pale with glowing eyes, suddenly appeared next Maka, shaking her head. Her clothes were torn and matted with dry blood, and she held a giant tooth in her lap. Maka blinked and the woman disappeared, but the emptiness lingered and she shook with nerves. How could she have forgotten about _her_? It had been years since Maka last saw her, a decade since the bloodcurdling screams had stopped, and now she was back again. A grim reminder of the evil harbored in Jurassic World.

"Miss, we've landed. You can get out now."

Maka broke out of her eerie stupor and stepped out of the helicopter on shaky legs. The ride had rattled her more than she thought (physically and mentally). Her knees would wobble uncontrollably for a while, so walking wouldn't be a good idea for the next few minutes. In the meantime, she settled on drinking in her new surroundings. It certainly rivaled the desert atmosphere she was used to back at home and at her digging sites. It was lush and colorful, teeming with life. The air was moist and humidーsomething she was not a fan ofーbut that was typical for the tropics. She flinched suddenly and smacked the back of her neck, cringing. Bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

"It would be in your best interest to invest in bug spray during your stay here."

Maka turned to see a man with glasses standing just below the landing platform. He was tall, slender, with a crop of gray hair atop his head. He was clad in a long, white lab coat with a strange stitch-patch pattern to it. In fact, the rest of his clothing followed the same pattern. His face had _scars._

A gleam caught her eye, reflecting off of his glasses. "I'm Professor Stein, Ms. Gorgon's lead scientist. I specialize in genetics. Every animal you'll find on this island was conceived by my hands."

Maka blanched a little at his choice of words and tried to regain her composure as she walked off the landing pad. "So you like to play god?"

It was a small challenge to his character but he smiled. "Something like that. I enjoy taking things apart more than creating, though."

She shuddered but held her ground. "Nobody should have that kind of power."

"You're right."

Maka blinked in surprise.

"But you were not invited here to criticize us, Ms. Albarn. You are our guest and I must say that you're being very rude to your host."

She clenched her fists and bit back a nasty remark. "Where's Medusa? She's the one that called me here, not you. Some _host_."

Stein seemed unfazed by the venom laced into her words. "You will be meeting with her shortly. First, you'll have to pick up your partner."

"Partner?"

"Yes. Ms. Gorgon recognizes all of your achievements and your expertise, don't you worry, but she also knows your weakness. You've only ever experienced these animals fossilized, not _alive_ , so she'd like the word of a field expert as well."

"A _field_ expert," Maka hissed, a little ruffled by how he evaluated her credentials so dismissively. "And who would that be?"

"Solomon Evans. He handles our velociraptors, you see. Ms. Gorgon believes his interactions with them to be invaluable for your research. He knows predatory dinosaur behavior firsthand."

 _His_ name hit her like a punch to the gut. Of all the people on this godforsaken island, why did it have to be him? She was hoping to avoid all contact with said _field expert_. The man who, at one time in her life, had taken her breath away. The man who had taught her how to _love_. He also taught her about betrayal and heartbreak, she bitterly reminded herself, and left it at that.

"Take these." He tossed her some keys which jumbled in her hands for a second. "They're to the jeep to your right. Your VIP access card will be in there too. Follow the GPS and it'll lead you straight to him. Then you will both meet Ms. Gorgon at the Control Center."

"Why do I have to pick him up?"

He grinned. "Ms. Gorgon wanted you two to have some time alone to acquaint yourselves with one another. You are going to be working together, after all."

Maka literally felt her jaw drop. Spending time alone with the Evans boy that ripped out her heart? She was in no way prepared for that. Hell, she may end up killing him in the process. Or herself, to avoid the situation altogether.

"I suggest you be on your way. Ms. Gorgon doesn't like to be kept waiting long."

For a split second she actually considered jumping back inside the flying deathtrap. Maka decided that _that_ would be better than this. Anything would be better than this. But, as if to spite her, the helicopter's propeller started turning and, just like that, the pilot had left her. He was flying away, leaving her trapped in the worst place on the planet.

"Well?"

She clicked the unlock button and the jeep let out a little _beep_. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

"Demon, don't give me that shit."

A loud, defiant squawk sounded in response.

"Tsu, don't let him walk all over you. You're better than that."

A small, faint clicking noise came in return.

"Hey, Crona! Don't turn your back on me."

Nothing but the whoosh of a long tail.

"Wes, you really need to get your troops in order. You're slacking."

A roar of protest, followed by the sound of biting, clawing, pushing, and shoving.

"Ah, that's better."

Soul Evans stood atop the velociraptor enclosure on a metal beam, leaning against the railing almost dangerously. The enclosure itself was impressive if he did say so himself; he had had a hand in designing it.

The small paddock area was shaped like a circle with the metal walkways above cutting it into fourths. On the south end, there was a small containment area where the raptors could be restrained to be monitored; that was where their heads were placed into metal braces to keep the staff out of harm's way. On the north end, a path let out to five acres of land styled in a tropical setting where the raptors could stretch their legs a bit. All of this was guarded by a twenty foot metal fence that could be electrified if need be.

Totally safe. Unless, by some unfortunate events, you _fall_ into it. Then not so safe. Its residents really wouldn't be that forgiving, though they'd appreciate your sacrifice to fill their bellies.

"Get on with it, Soul," Blake said with a hint of annoyance. "You've got their attention."

Soul raised his hand and watched the raptors' eyes follow it slowly, though more out of curiosity than obedience. He shook his head. "Not yet, just a little more."

Blake groaned and Soul shrugged it off. Patience一something Blake _lacked_ exponentially一was key in this line of work. So that was why Soul was now biting back any snide remarks Blake wholeheartedly deserved as the guy continued to whine. Honestly, Soul should have the right to choose his colleagues. Ms. Gorgon owed him that much, at least.

"You've got them eating out of your hands!"

"No, I've only got Tsu eating out of my hands because she's submissive _and_ a good listener. Something you're not." He could only hold back for so long, he reasoned.

"Don't you rat on my Tsu!" Blake bellowed. The insult flew right over his head.

"Oh, stop your whining and let me concentrate. You're annoying the animals. Even your precious little Tsu."

Blake blanched at that, and Soul took the opportunity to focus back on his training.

"Oi, eyes on me!" He used the clicker and raised his hand in the air again. This time their heads snapped up toward his hand without any hesitation. They were focused. Good.

"Okay. No funny business, Demon. You got that?" All he got was a snort in return, but that was tolerable. "Wes, I expect you to stay on point." A loud chirp resonated as an _I know_ in Soul's mind. Funny how the voice he made up in his head sounded so much like his brother's.

"Alright, and we're moving."

He walked across the metal beam with his hand still in place, impressed with how they followed his every move, all eyes on him. It had been the first time in weeks since they actually followed his directions. It was a breakthrough.

"Okay, time for a sound off."

Soul stopped, grabbing a bag at his feet, and placed it on top of the railing. He grinned when he heard the excitement bubbling beneath him through chirping, squawking, clicking, clawing, nipping, and air biting. They knew exactly what would happen when Soul brought out _the_ bag. Food.

"Demon, look alive!"

He pulled out a nice-sized rabbit and tossed it down with a quick flick of the wrist. Demon met it partway and ripped it out of the air, eagerly shoving it down his gullet when he landed. The beast had a mean streak and always pushed Soul's buttons but, at heart, he'd always be a show-off.

"Alright, Tsu. It's your turn."

He grabbed a chunk of meat torn from a deer carcass and threw it down to her. Demon managed to tip it in the air before it reached her, though, fully intending on stealing his nestmate's meal.

"Hey, he can't do that!" Blake yelled, just when Soul had forgotten he was still there.

Tsu, as if feeding off of Blake's anger, dug her claw into Demon's foot before he could reach the prize. Demon shrieked in pain and backed off, eyeing her warily. Soul couldn't help the smug look he was sporting as Tsu swallowed her snack whole. _She finally grew a backbone_ , he thought, catching the glance the raptor sent Blake's way. _With Blake's encouragement, of course._

"Damn straight! You show him who's boss!" Blake shouted, and Soul just rolled his eyes.

"Crona, this one's for you."

Crona looked pensive and uncomfortable, typical for her. It was hard for her to keep eye contact and her head held up so high, so Soul praised her efforts with a knowing smile and her favorite snack: a large snake. Sometimes he questioned her sense of taste but he couldn't really badger her. She liked what she liked, and he was pretty sure raptors would eat almost anything.

"Heads up!" He tossed the snake down and cringed when Crona caught it only for Demon to snatch it right out of her mouth. He was really starting to grate on Soul's nerves. He sighed and gave Crona an apologetic smile; a silent promise to give her another snake when Demon was contained.

"Demon, I'm getting real tired of your shit." The defiant squawk he got in return only succeeded in irking him more, so he moved on to his next eager customer.

"Okay, saved the best for last. Isn't that right, Wes?"

A loud roar, or at least as loud as a raptor could _roar_ , made Soul smirk. "Got a nice, fresh chicken for ya. You want it?"

Wes crowed a few times and teetered on his feet, his long claws poking at the dirt. That was _hell yeah_ in raptor, Soul decided. He threw the chicken to Wes and snickered when he caught Demon standing perfectly still; he wouldn't dare challenge the beta. Wes chomped on the chicken in his jaws, savoring the taste before swallowing it whole.

Soul chuckled. Raptor Wes's table manners paled in comparison to his brother's. It made him laugh. Just for a second.

He used the clicker and raised his hand again. "Eyes on me!"

The raptors met his gaze and rose up on their back legs. Again, focused. Soul tried so hard not to let a goofy grin show. No time to get sappy, this was business.

"And, go!" Just as he lowered his hand, they all sprinted forward. He smiled and turned to watch them go.

In that moment he wished he could be running with them, his pack一 _no_ , his family. Wes, Demon, Tsu, and Crona. They were family. Soul had imprinted on them the second they hatched; he knew he had a connection with them. It wouldn't be long before he could run or, more accurately speaking, _ride_ alongside them as their equal. No, as their alpha. That's where he belonged.

His brother knew that, he thought. He must have known that his little brother's heart resided with the dinosaurs; he had shared that love with Soul, after all. Wes was the person that understood him better than anyone and would always forgive him, despite all his flaws.

Didn't make it any less gut-wrenching to miss his brother's funeral because he was at a vital stage in bonding with the raptors. The blood, sweat, and tears he had put into raising them would have been deemed a _waste_ , as Medusa put it. Now all he had to hold onto was the idea that his big brother understood, that he would always forgive him, even in the afterlife.

Soul gripped the sharp claw pendant around his neck, hand trembling. Too bad he couldn't forgive himself. It was all his fault, after all.

"What did I say? Eating out of your fucking hands. Hell, they're even licking your fingers."

Soul deflated a little, dropping the pendant and pushing all thoughts of Wes aside, and watched his raptors disappear into the tropical brush. One white-streaked tail, one blood red, another dark blue with black markings, and the last a light purple, all vanishing without a trace. He sighed. Leave it to Blake to interrupt his thoughts with a seriously uncalled-for comment. The man truly had a gift. Luckily, for once in Soul's life, he was grateful. Blake couldn't know that though.

"You had to make it weird."

"What? It's a compliment. Learn to take one, _raptor whisperer_ ," Blake replied casually, popping a banana in his mouth for good measure. Soul was suddenly very aware of the uncanny resemblance his partner had to a monkey.

He grinned, amused. "Raptor whisperer? Really?"

Blake shrugged. "It's the first thing I thought of, don't judge."

Soul waved him off and made his way down the metal stairs leading to the containment area. The raptors were due for an examination within the hour and he needed to make sure everything was secure. That's when he heard a squealing pig race by, followed by someone shouting, "Pig on the loose!" As if nobody could tell that already.

 _Great_ , he thought. _Just what I need right now._ He saw some of the staff grab nets, which baffled him. Did they actually expect to _rescue_ the pig? It was already the end of the line for the little thing; they should have known that. Before Soul could voice his concerns, however, he witnessed a young man一the new guy, Hiro, if he remembered correctly一atop the metal walkway, swinging his oversized butterfly net over the railing to catch the pig. It looked like the start of a really bad joke.

 _Squawk_. _Squeal_. _Snap_. _Scream_. _Thud_.

And here came the horrifying punchline.

It all happened so fast. One minute Hiro had the pig in his net, ready to bring it up to safety; the next, Demon grabbed the pig and the net, catapulting Hiro into the paddock with a quick, powerful thrust. Then, for a moment, silence. There was a chill in the air, like time itself had frozen over. Soul felt it in his bones, this panic, this _fear._ It rattled him down to the core, and he wasn't even the poor fool trapped in the cage.

 _Squawk._ It was a call for backup, Soul realized. He recognized the tone. On cue, the rest of the pack joined Demon in the paddock, one by one. The look in their eyes assured his fear; they were on the hunt.

"H-Help me!"

"Well fuck," Blake said under his breath, lost for words for probably the first time in his life. He stood frozen on the steps with the banana dangling from the corner of his mouth. Soul would have laughed if it weren't for the situation at hand.

A young man was about to die on _his_ watch by the hands一or, rather, claws一of _his_ raptors. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of staff members raising their taser rifles, preparing to fire twelve amps worth of electricity. _No no no no no no._ If they stunned the raptors, the bond he had worked so hard to forge would be broken. They wouldn't trust him anymore. These last four years would have been for nothing. He would lose his _family._ Soul clenched his fists and bit his lip hard.

 _I'd give anything to study these animals in the flesh,_ his brother had said, jealousy but mostly admiration shown in his eyes. _Maybe I can live my dream through you, Soul. It can be our dream. Whaddya say? Will you see it through?_

The answer was clear.

"Soul, what the hell?!" Blake yelled. His banana hit the metal stairs with a _thud_ as his jaw went slack.

Soul had rushed to the gate separating the containment area from the paddock, now working the control panel with a shaky hand. What he was about to do was stupid, no, _insane_. He and the raptors had a connection, he was certain of it, but was it strong enough to keep him and Hiro out of harm's way? Only one way to find out.

Soul pressed the button with _open_ printed in bold on it and flinched at the resounding beep, a warning to turn back. He shook his head and confirmed that _yes_ , he was opening the gate, and _no_ , he did not have a death wish. The latter was debatable the more that he thought about it, though.

"Don't shoot! Whatever you do, don't shoot!" he cried, watching the gate rise with a wild look in his eyes. He saw taser rifles start to lower and figured this was it. It was time to be the alpha. Or time to die.

Soul darted inside the paddock and stepped in front of Hiro while the raptors were getting ready to close in. They screeched, agitated and surprised by his sudden appearance, and bickered amongst themselves. He gulped and raised his hands, mustering up his courage and putting on a brave face. Showing fear could mean death.

"Easy, easy," he uttered calmly. "Eyes on me." Demon squawked and bared his teeth. Crona clawed at the dirt, anxious and wary of her surroundings. Tsu was clicking at him, like she was sending him a warning of some sort. Wes stared right through him and raised his claws, edging a bit closer.

"I said eyes on me." He repeated sharply. The fact that his voice did not waver astounded him. The raptors' heads swiveled up at his tone, their eyes burning holes through his palms. Soul had them where he wanted them if only for a minute. He couldn't waste any time now.

"Hiro, run," he whispered. The guy didn't even hesitate judging by the dirt cloud now forming behind Soul. Those words snapped him out of his daze in a heartbeat. Hiro dove to safety while he stood there, staring down his pack while they stared back with hungry eyes. The food they had had was already forgotten, apparently.

"Soul, get out of there!" Blake urged, standing by the control panel. He must've moved once Soul entered the paddock.

Soul took a deep breath. "Close the gate."

"Are you fucking nuts?!"

"Do it now."

"C-Close it!" Hiro shrieked, trying to scoot as far away as possible.

"Ah, hell!" Blake cursed as he started working the control panel. With a _beep_ , the gate began to lower.

Soul wiped the sweat from his brow and started counting down in his head. _Five._ Crona was teetering on her feet, unable to stay still. _Four_. Tsu wouldn't stop clicking. It seemed frantic now. _Three_. Demon was fussing, air biting and clawing holes into the dirt. _Two_. Wes was very still. _One_. He looked Soul dead in the eyes. _Now._

Soul took off at the very last second and slid under the gate before it closed. The raptors were right on his tail, slamming into the gate or jumping to where he used to be standing. They squawked in protest and gave him cheated looks. Especially Demon. He was pissed. He started to squeeze his snout through the metal bars in an effort to reach Hiro.

"You are fucking crazy."

Soul sported a weak grin. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"T-Thank you! Oh my god, that was so close!" Hiro was practically groveling at Soul's feet.

Instead of the typical _no problem_ or _you're welcome_ , Soul decided on a different approach. "You ever wonder why there was a job opening?"

Hiro went pale and gulped.

Soul then looked him hard in the eyes. " _Never_ turn your back on the cage. Got that?"

Hiro jumped when he noticed Demon's fruitless efforts to get to him and nodded.

"Good. I'm glad you see it my way."

Blake snorted as Hiro scurried off. "I think the poor guy pissed himself."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Hey, uhh, did you know that was going to happen? With the raptors, I mean. You wouldn't have gone in if you didn't know, right?"

Soul shrugged. "Yeah. I had it all under control." That was a lie. For a moment, he thought they were going to rip him apart limb from limb. He could see it in their eyes. The only sliver of hope that showed through was their hesitation. That's why he's still alive.

"Solomon Ethan Evans!"

Soul blinked. That voice. He knew that voice. It struck a painful chord in his heart and rubbed salt into the wound that cut deeply there. The wound that never healed. It was _her_. Fiery green eyes, ash-blonde hair, and all. She marched up to him in a fury, and he hardly had time to register how she had gotten through the outer gate. It required a card to gain access. He just stood there, mouth agape, like he had just seen a ghost. In a way, he thought, that's what she was: a ghost from his past. She stopped in front of him and sized him up, eyes burning into his own. He held his breath.

"You idiot!"

 _Slap_.


	2. Chapter 2

Soul stood in the elevator with her, rubbing his aching cheek where he was sure there was a red hand print. No, he was _positive_ there was a red hand print. He could feel it.

"Did you really have to hit me?"

"They didn't have feathers," Maka Albarn, paleontologist extraordinaire, the top of her field, and his still painfully attractive ex-girlfriend, grumbled. It's the first words she had spoken since nearly slapping his block off; the forced car ride to the Control Center had been eerily silent. Not to mention she just completely ignored his question. Typical.

"They're not exactly overgrown turkeys, if that's what you were expecting."

"Watch your tone, Evans." He flinched at the malice she wove into his last name. "Velociraptor fossils have quill tips. We've known that for years."

"Quill, what?"

"Quill _tips_ ," she seethed. "It's how we know they were covered in feathers."

"Oh. Well, all of our animals are as naked as they come." He let a smirk slip. "No feathers here. 'Cept maybe the little quill things on the raptors' heads. Yeah, that's about it."

She scoffed. "Quill _things_? Wow. Been here for not even a day and I'm already disappointed. Hats off to Jurassic World for not even making _authentic_ dinosaurs. Why am I not surprised."

"Maka, why are you here?"

He was so done. She had walked back into his life again, slapped him, and slipped into this banter-filled conversation like everything was fine with the world. Okay, maybe not fine. She sounded bitter and guarded, which stung a little, and she completely skipped the _hi_ or _how are you_ in favor of violence. Granted, he probably deserved it in some way. They didn't exactly leave off on good terms. But now it was time for some answers.

"The Indominus Rex."

"The what?"

The elevator door opened, cutting their conversation short (not that it was going very well to begin with). Soul felt like there was a barrier between them. Communication was difficult, awkward to say the least, and it was like they couldn't breach the other's personal space. If he so much as shifted to his right, closer to her, she'd take a step away from him. That's how thick the tension was. The only thing that came across as somewhat natural was the witty remarks and jabs at one another, and even that had been hostile and distant.

"Ah, I see you two are well-acquainted with each other. Perfect."

Soul had to do a double-take. Medusa Gorgon, his _boss_ , was standing right in front of them. In the Control Room. Near her employees. Talking to _them_. It was official: he had to be trapped in some kind of weird dream. That's the only explanation that made sense for Maka's surprise appearance and Medusa's sudden interest in the inner workings of her own theme park. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Ms. Gorgon, it's about time-"

"Please, call me Medusa."

Soul caught Maka's brow twitch in irritation, something only he would notice considering their intimate history together. He _knew_ her. Inside and out. She knew him too一he had given her his very heart and soul at one time一but maybe she had already forgotten that fact. The scar on his heart started to burn at the very idea, which meant all of this was real. Not some crazy dream. His feelings were _real_.

" _Medusa,"_ Maka practically spat. "I'd like to know who thought making a hybrid dinosaur would be a good idea."

Whoa, whoa, wait. Hold up. A hybrid dinosaur? Soul was taken aback by the mere idea of it. Weren't regular dinosaurs a big enough wow factor on their own?

Medusa smiled, though her eyes looked sharp and uninviting. "That would be me, Ms. Albarn. Corporate wanted something a little different to attract more guests and this is what we all voted on."

"Uh, s'cuse me, you kinda lost me at _hybrid_ dinosaur," Soul chimed in.

"Yes. Jurassic World's very first genetically modified hybrid. The Indominus Rex. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"It's...different."

"It's an abomination," Maka hissed. "An animal like that shouldn't exist. Dinosaurs too, for that matter. They're supposed to be extinct."

"Not anymore, Ms. Albarn. Your head must still be stuck in the dirt searching for bones, but we've moved past that. Through our genetics research we've learned more about these creatures in a few years than we have in centuries of digging up bones. We've made excellent progress and I believe this hybrid is a step in the right direction."

Soul grabbed Maka's arm instinctively, sensing her anger start to bubble up to the surface. She flinched at his touch but let him be. It was something, if only a little, considering he couldn't even get near her in the elevator.

"Fine. Believe in what you want, but I know this is wrong. And I hope I'm there when you realize that too."

"Yes, well, moving on then. I'd like you to meet somebody." Medusa said, ignoring Maka's warning as if it were nothing. In a way, for her, it was. Absolutely nothing.

Maka bristled with a fire burning within her but一and he'd like to think his touch had something to do with this一she kept it hidden under lock and key. Good thing too, because Maka's temper wasn't something to trifle with. He knew that firsthand.

"I'd like you to meet Dean Kidman. He monitors all of our assets, including the Indominus Rex. He also operates the park's main computer system."

A young man一god, he looked _too_ young一turned his swivel chair away from his computer desk to face them, gold eyes meeting their green and red. His hair was black, styled straight and neat, with three strange white lines circling only half his head. When he caught Soul looking at them he cringed, mumbling, "My sisters like to play horrid pranks. This is their latest dirty deed."

Maka nodded, looking sympathetic, but Soul just had to ask. "Why only halfway?"

"I have an affinity for symmetry, and they like to think they have a bloody good sense of humor."

Soul took one good look at Dean's workspace一all neat and tidy, _symmetrical_ if you will一and couldn't agree more. His sisters were evil geniuses, hitting the poor guy where it hurt the most. To think, what it must be like to look in the mirror everyday一

"Nice to meet you Dean, but what do you have to do with any of this?" Maka said, bringing Soul's train of thought to an abrupt halt. It was going nowhere to begin with, anyway.

"I'm your contact at the Control Center. I'll have eyes and ears on you at all times in case anything goes wrong with the Indominus."

Soul raised a brow. "Just how dangerous is this thing?"

"It makes Rexy look domesticated," Dean deadpanned.

"Ouch. That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea."

Soul turned to face Medusa. "Okay, bad hybrid dino, I get that. But what am I doing here?" He then gestured to Maka. "And why is she here?"

Medusa smirked and crossed her arms, adding her sharp gaze to the mix once more. It gave him the chills. This was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted and would do _anything_ to do so. Not his type of woman. Granted, Maka could sometimes be like that, but she was different. He _liked_ her and she was genuine. Medusa was like the snake in the grass you wouldn't want crossing your path.

"I'm glad you asked, Mr. Evans."

"Soul," he replied gruffly. "I go by Soul."

"Yes, Soul." His name fell from her lips like poison. In response, he squared his shoulders, losing the hunched habit he's had since high school. "I invited you and Ms. Albarn here to study the Indominus. With her expertise in paleontology and your field experience, I believe you two will uncover all of Asura's hidden secrets."

"Asura?"

"That's the name we settled on for the Indominus," Dean cut in. "Much like how you named the velociraptors."

"You guys have weird taste."

Dean shrugged while Medusa scowled. "I'm not in the mood to be criticized, Soul. You and Ms. Albarn should be on your way to Asura's paddock now."

"Wait, who says I agreed to this?" Soul asked, glancing at Maka from the corner of his eye. Why would _she_ , of all people, agree to this? She liked to preach against Jurassic World. It didn't make any sense.

"I can raise your pay if that'll persuade you."

"Hah, I'm fine with what I've got. I'm not greedy. Plus I've already made plans to hang out with my nephews. Sorry, but family comes first."

"Oh, and what about your _job_ , Mr. Evans? Are you willing to sacrifice that?"

He tensed up, mind reeling back to his jurassic family, but stood his ground. "Pfft, _please_. With all the work I've put into raising and training the raptors, you wouldn't dare get rid of me. We have a _bond_. It can't be replaced so easily."

Medusa was fuming now and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it. Out of habit, he looked at Maka and grinned like a fool, something he'd do in the past at the old dig site when he messed with either her or Wes. She usually laughed if he owned Wes, or pouted if he poked fun at her.

Maka caught Soul's eye and looked away, pulling her arm out of his grasp. He almost forgot they were still touching. Now he felt like his lifeline was just ripped away from him.

"I can do this just fine on my own."

 _That_ stalled his heart for a moment, the scar there pulsating and burning now more than ever. It _ached_ like hell. That was another rejection to add to the list, he thought bitterly. Not to mention Maka was offering to take on this hybrid monster _alone_. Now fuck him sideways if that didn't scare the ever-loving shit out of him. He wanted, no, _needed_ to protect her. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. _Never._

Soul sighed heavily, cursing the infuriating woman that was about to make him really bite the bullet. Gabriel and Jesse would just have to wait a little while longer before he picked up where he left off with them four years ago. He owed them _big_ time. Elicia would also rip him a new one once she caught wind of his absence, but he'd have to worry about that later. Maka was the _here_ and _now_.

"I'm not letting you go alone."

Maka balked at his declaration. It reminded him of the time he and Wes had decided to each take a claw from one of the fossils they had dug up, of which Maka protested loudly in the name of _science_ or what have you. At least back then he and Maka were close. Now, not so much. Before she could voice her obvious loathing of the idea一he could see it in her eyes and it sent a throbbing _pang_ through his chest一Medusa had cut her off at the pass. Her take on the idea opposed Maka's tenfold.

"Excellent. You've finally come to your senses."

Soul wouldn't have gone as far as to say that. In retrospect, his instincts were telling him not to go near the Indominus Rex with a ten foot pole. What a shame that Maka could easily throw his instincts for a loop in a way that only she could. That woman, quite literally, could be the _death_ of him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the Indominus has been successfully tranquilized," Dean said, eyeing his computer screen. "They should really get going, Ms. Gorgon. Before the sedatives wear off."

Medusa nodded in return. "I agree, and they will." She faced him and Maka, again, with sharp eyes and a sly smile. "You are dismissed. Hurry along to Asura's paddock if you wish to study him up close."

 _Up close?_ If Soul had his way, Maka would be on the next flight back to the states before he'd let her anywhere near that beast.

"Come on, Soul. You heard her. Let's go."

Her tone cut him open like a knife because _man_ , was she pissed. Stepping into the elevator, where she was now tapping her foot impatiently and glaring, sounded like a death wish. Like a good boy, though, he tucked tail and listened to his partner by joining her. Maka then hit the _down_ button so hard, Soul caught himself sympathizing with it.

"Don't forget these!" Dean called, stopping the door just short of it closing. He handed them a set of walkie-talkies and pointed to his earpiece. "Use these to stay in contact. I know they're low-tech, but they should work fine. I'm on the first labeled frequency."

Soul turned his on, grinning as he leaned in close to it, and said, "Do you hear me now?"

Dean winced and grasped his earpiece. "Loud and clear. Turn your volume down, will you?"

Soul did as he was told, fully aware of the glare Maka was sending his way. He should've been allowed to have a little fun, at least. It seemed harmless considering what they were about to do.

"Good luck. I'll be watching."

"That doesn't sound creepy at all," Soul mumbled, which earned him a good elbow to the ribs.

"Thanks, Dean. I'm sure we'll need it." Maka looked at Soul when she tacked on that last part.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," he wheezed.

Dean offered a small smile before he moved his foot, letting the door close with a _click_.

"You're such a child."

Soul shrugged and slipped a hand under his shirt, rubbing where he was sure a bruise was starting to show. "Hey, I'm up there now at thirty-one. Cut me some slack if I wanna relive my childhood glory days."

Maka scoffed, but he didn't miss a beat. He saw that quick glance to his happy trail peeking out from under his lifted shirt. She couldn't fool him. That scoff might have been genuine, but it was also a cover-up. She was _still_ attracted to him, he could _feel_ it. He ingrained that into his memory quickly, before he could forget.

There was still hope.

"Let's just get this over with."

If only a sliver.

* * *

"So where's Shamu?"

" _Shh_ , Jess, stop talking."

"Seriously, though. Is it going to show up? Oh, and maybe do a flip or two?"

" _Shut up._ "

Gabriel had half a mind to seal his brother's mouth shut for good with super glue. Jesse had finally gotten over the initial shock of _whoa dinosaurs exist_ and was now being a complete smart ass about everything. Gabriel wished he could call him out on that, but swearing was still a no-no in his book. Uncle Soul could make him stop. He was supposed to be the adult here, but he had yet to show up. They were on their own. Gabriel felt let down whereas Jesse acted like he wasn't surprised, hiding his feelings behind a brick wall like usual.

"What's that lady got? A Jurassic dog whistle?"

Gabriel groaned. "Mosasaur are sensitive to high frequencies. She's _calling_ it."

"Okay, so not Shamu. More like an aquatic Fido that comes when called," Jesse teased.

Gabriel pinched Jesse's side. " _Stop!"_

"Ow! Okay, chill! Geez," Jesse said, his expression fairly neutral until something caught his eye. "Whoa, wait. Are they really gonna feed it Jaws?"

A great white shark, hanging from a giant crane, dangled over the water enticingly.

" _Alright folks, let's see if our Mosasaurus is hungry for a little snack. This should be good!"_ the head Mosasaurus trainer announced with great enthusiasm into her headset.

"Is it seriously going to eat something that big?"

Gabriel grinned knowingly. "It's just a _little snack_ , remember?"

" _Here she comes!"_ the announcer called out, and the crowd went silent with anticipation.

Nothing but the calm sound of ocean waves and bird calls from overhead for a moment. It teetered on the edge of silence. Then, with a burst of raw power and a mighty roar, the Mosasaurus launched itself out of the water and snapped at the shark with its strong jaws. The line holding the shark broke instantly and the shark itself一at least what was left of it after that big bite一fell into the water. The Mosasaurus then body-slammed into the water, causing a huge wave to soak the crowd in the nearby stands.

Jesse blew water out of his nose and looked at Gabriel, eyes wide in shock. "Oh my god, did you see that?!"

"Yeah! That was so cool!"

"Why didn't you tell me that thing was super-sized?"

Gabriel smirked and winked. "Wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, damn."

Gabriel poked Jesse between the ribs as a means to scold him for swearing. With a small, unmanly squeak and a look of vengeance in his eyes, Jesse gladly retaliated with a few pokes of his own. Thus, a grand poking war began in which both brothers refused to surrender to the other. It only stopped once the stands began to lower suddenly, catching them both off guard.

" _Now let's give you guys a closer look at our Mosasaurus!"_

The stands dropped below the tank, giving the crowd an amazing view of the Mosasaurus finishing off its great white snack. It was long, dark, and had many rows of serrated teeth poking out of its mouth. Its fins seemed small and unfit to propel it through the water, yet it swam around with grace that, quite frankly, didn't match its sea-giant status.

"This is amazing."

Gabriel smiled. "And it only gets better from here, I'm sure."

* * *

Later, the brothers boarded the Jurassic World Monorail, hoping to make it to the world famous Gryrosphere ride before the line got too long.

Gabriel pressed his cheek against glass, clutching his father's necklace for comfort. "Hey, Jess?"

Jesse was wearing his headphones, bobbing his head along to one of his favorite songs on his playlist. No response on his end, so Gabriel nudged him with his foot. Jesse grunted and put his song on pause.

"What is it?"

"Where do you think Uncle Soul is? He was supposed to meet us at the gates."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Probably busy with more _important_ things."

 _More important things_ was Jesse's uncle's excuse for not bothering to come to his father's funeral, or at least that's how he had interpreted his mother's hurried explanation at the time. It left a thorn in his side that refused to budge. What was more important than your own brother's funeral? Nothing, in his opinion.

"Family is important," Gabriel mumbled, clutching the necklace even tighter.

"Pfft, tell him that."

Gabriel frowned. "You're being mean again."

"What? Can't expect me to gush over that bastard like you do," Jesse replied, scowling.

Gabriel kicked at Jesse's shin. "Don't talk about him like that!"

"I'll say what I want about him. He'll always be Dad's good-for-nothing brother in my book."

"He's the closest thing we have to Dad, you jerk! Don't you see that?!"

Jesse blinked and looked back at Gabriel. The poor boy's face was already tear stained with snot smeared over his lip. Something Jesse said had obviously cut too deep for Gabriel to handle, and now he was the one who looked like the villain when the true culprit was their uncle. Not good.

"Don't cry, please, enough with the water works," Jesse begged. "Just forget what I said, okay? Pretend it didn't happen."

Gabriel sniffled and wiped his face. "Why do you hate him so much? Dad wouldn't like it."

Jesse bit his lip and pressed play on his ipod. "Because I just do."

Just like that, the conversation was over. Jesse turned his volume up to block everything out and switched over to his heavy metal playlist. He needed some time to vent to himself, even if only internally.

Gabriel sighed and gazed out the window with a blank stare. The park was more than he had ever hoped for, but the rift between his brother and uncle was starting to put a damper on things.

He gripped the necklace until his fist turned white and whispered, "Dad, what do I do? I wish you were here. Jesse wouldn't be so mean with you around."

Silence.

"I need you."

Silence, and then a long, drawn-out sigh.

"I miss you so much."

The monorail raged on, cutting through the park landscape like a dart, with all but two passengers bubbling about with excitement.

* * *

"Maka," the field expert said sternly. "You are _not_ gonna put one little foot inside that death trap. Got it?"

Maka huffed as she eyed the outside of the Indominus's enclosure, searching for any weaknesses in the design. She found none, though there was some construction going on along the fence line that was causing a lot of commotion; it appeared like they were trying to raise it some more. Apparently Asura was a lot bigger than they anticipated. Nonetheless, not even the loud construction background noise could grate on her nerves as much as Soul did. The nerve of that man.

"Who put you in charge?" she griped.

"I have _field experience_ , remember? You're the one out of your element here."

"Soul, I _live_ and _breathe_ dinosaurs. It's in my job description."

"Yeah, _dead_ ones. When's the last time a fossil came alive and tried to eat ya, huh? That's a story I'd like to hear."

Maka's face grew hot. "Yeah, well, this isn't exactly one of your velociraptors. This thing is way out of your league, Soul."

"Maybe, but you're still not going in that cage," he said, shouldering past her to walk up the metal steps wrapping around the dome-like enclosure, creating a stairway to a door on the side. If her intuition served her right, it probably led to a small viewing room where guests could feast their eyes on the Indominus in a tropical setting. The idea seemed ridiculous but typical for Jurassic World.

"Can you lay off on the macho cool guy act? I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of myself."

She'd be lying, however, if she said that his mother hen approach to all of this hadn't warmed a very special but very small place in her heart. Even after four years, he _still_ had an affect on her. The minor and very infuriating _check out_ session in the elevator proved just that. She couldn't deny that something was still there, itching at the back of her mind and playing with her heartstrings, but the past couldn't be ignored. He _broke_ her. _Betrayed_ her. Maka Albarn wasn't privy to forgiveness, so Soul was just going to have to pay his dues and put up with her backlash.

"Yeah, I can see that," he replied with a scowl. "Doesn't mean I'm letting you in there. You're gonna stay behind the glass like a good girl, alright?"

"What makes you think you can stop me?"

Soul opened the door and, before stepping inside, grumbled, "So help me god, I will drag your pretty little ass back onto that helicopter and have you stateside by tomorrow, _Albarn_."

Maka felt a chill crawl up her spine. That was _the_ voice. His bed voice. She shook her head and tried to get her bearings straight. Her walls, though built strong, were starting to crumble. Because of _him_. Why would he use that against her? That was dirty pool and it wasn't like Soul to play that kind of game. She must have really pushed his buttons.

Good. Two could play this game.

"Pretty little ass? You always had a way with words, Soul," she replied casually, slipping into the viewing room before the door clicked shut after her. Maka realized too late that she had laced the painful twinge she had felt into her tone, the slight betrayal一nowhere near as bad as the _one that shall not be named_ , though一hurting more than she would like to admit. Believe it or not, she wasn't always made of steel. She could be sensitive, which Soul knew. God, he knew way too much.

Soul turned his back to her to hide his red-stained cheeks, though it was a fruitless effort. _Cute_ , she thought. _Wait, what?_ was then the immediate afterthought. Her mind was stepping into dangerous territory, somewhere where she felt like she belonged but also didn't. It was complicated like that. She wasn't very fond of _complicated_ , though she was well acquainted with it. _That_ she knew for sure.

"Yeah, yeah. M'not exactly a modern day Shakespeare, I get it. Can we please be more _professional_ now?"

Nobody else would have caught it, but there was a soft apology hidden in both Soul's words and his body language. He hunched his shoulders and buried his hands into his pockets, a nervous habit when he felt ashamed or uncomfortable. His last quip at her obviously hadn't sat well with him. The _voice_ had overstepped a line that neither of them were ready to cross right now, and he acknowledged that. Granted, he was too stubborn to outright apologize, but she would take it. Be more _professional_ , he said. It meant _no more games_.

She smiled, disregarding their _complicated_ past for a split second. It was a moment of weakness, she would later say, but not to him. "Alright. Let's get started then, shall we?"

Soul nodded and paced the room, eyeing the windows warily. "Well this doesn't look very encouraging," he said, tapping the glass where it looked shattered. The glass was built strong and thick, thankfully. Otherwise Asura would have broken through with ease.

"Animals raised in isolation tend to be more aggressive than most."

"Yeah, would've helped if he had a friend. Social skills can really make a difference."

Maka tugged at her collar and looked down. "He had a sibling."

Soul perked up. "Where is it?"

"He ate it alive before it could fully hatch."

"Oh, well. This animal is seriously messed up in the head."

Maka couldn't agree more. She stepped closer to the glass and peered through the brush, searching for the hybrid monster Medusa had spoken so highly of. Her curiosity was piqued, she could not deny it. She wanted to know what Asura looked like and understand how his mind worked. He was an abomination, but he was also a puzzle she'd like to solve. She begrudgingly acknowledged that she was playing into Medusa's hands by doing this, but she couldn't help it. She was her mother's daughter, after all.

" _Maka, Soul, do you read me?"_

Soul pulled his radio out of his pocket, looking amused. "Kinda weird to hear you talking from my crotch, Dean."

" _I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that. You there, Maka?"_

Maka grabbed her radio and mouthed _I'll do the talking_ to Soul. "I'm here, Dean. What's up?"

Soul shrugged and mouthed back _whatever you say, angel_.

" _Just a reminder that the Indominus is tranquilized. If you want to get a closer look, now's the time to do so."_

Instead of taking the time to process what Dean had said, Maka was busy over-thinking the meaning behind _angel_. That was Soul's pet name for her back when they were together. She remembered begging him to call her that, mostly as a joke but then not so much, and he refused at first but eventually gave into her demands. He took to calling her _his angel_ with ease and she loved the way it rolled off his tongue, _loved_ the way it made her feel.

 _Crack._ Her wall really couldn't handle the nostalgia, apparently. At least when it came to Soul.

"Actually, Dean, I'm going into the lion's den. Maka's gonna hang back and look over the security recordings to study its behavior or whatever."

" _Really? I didn't think you'd be interested in that."_

"Yeah, well, I'm just full of surprises," Soul said with a weak grin. "You'll learn that about me, kid."

" _It's Dean."_

"Right, my bad."

Maka broke out of her nostalgic trance. She had come to this island of horrors to _protect him,_ and now he was volunteering to go face-to-face with Asura. Even if Soul had stabbed her in the back in the past, she still cared for him. The thought of seeing his name pop up on the news one day, confirming his _death_ in some kind of freak accident of the Jurassic variety, was not something she could stomach. _Not again_ , she thought with a shudder.

"What? _No_ , Soul. You are _not_ going in there. I'll一"

"Either me or you, Maka. And it sure as hell isn't going to be you."

Maka frowned. "This isn't fair, Soul."

"Never said it was."

"You're being reckless!"

"I learned from the best."

Maka gritted her teeth and marched up to him, ignoring his silent protests一wide eyes, hands up in surrender, and a poorly executed retreat into the corner一and forced her way into his personal space. Pride swelled in her gut when she caught him swallowing hard and breaking a sweat. He should be nervous. She was a force to be reckoned with.

"You're staying here," she said, the underlying threat very clear.

His Adam's apple bobbed and he squared his jaw. "Look, I'm going out there whether you like it or not. And y'know what?"

Maka braced herself for some kind of snide remark. She thought for sure that Soul was frustrated with her. Lord knew she would be if she was in his shoes. She also knew that he could have a temper一to argue, mostly一if riled up enough. Ironically, it was usually her that brought out that side of him.

Soul gently grasped her shoulders instead and Maka flinched. "I'm going to be just fine. Chill out and have a little faith in me, okay?"

Maka deflated. She wasn't expecting that. Especially not the genuine, toothy smile he tacked on for good measure. It really, _really_ wasn't fair that he could still have this kind of effect on her.

" _You guys still there?"_

There was silence for a moment as tension overtook the room.

Maka needed to approach this differently. She couldn't be left behind and neither could Soul, apparently, so that left only one option: the infuriating trump card.

Maka lifted her radio, looking at Soul as she said, "Still here, Dean. Soul and I will check out Asura together. Will we have an escort?"

The gasp and partial spit-take (with literal spit, mind you) was rightfully deserved. _Bet the blundering fool didn't see that one coming_ , Maka thought. Even after all the effort Soul had put into trying to dissuade her一which was a valiant and nearly successful attempt, truth be told一Maka decided that he really should have known better. Once Maka Albarn had her sights set on something, she was locked in. No matter how crazy the idea may have sounded, she'd dive in head first without blinking an eye. That was why she was pegged as the courageous but reckless one. It was her trademark.

Funny how Soul used to admire her strong sense of drive. Now, judging from the look on his face as he wiped the spit off his lip, he was feeling anything _but_ admiration.

 _"Head Keeper Buttaki will meet you both at the main gate."_

"Alright, sounds like a plan."

Soul looked about ready to cuss her out but, instead, settled on: "Maka, are you deaf?"

"What? It's a decent compromise. It'll be just like old times, right?"

It slipped out of her mouth before she could catch herself, sounding so natural and so harmless. Maka decided to leave it be, though, almost daring him to say something but hoping he wouldn't.

Soul looked taken aback for a second, but his indifferent facade managed to stay intact.

"Yeah, the good ol' days."

His words certainly lacked enthusiasm but sounded strangely nostalgic, like he was in deep thought. Maka wished she could read him like she could before, but things were still hazy between them. She didn't like it.

"What do you say, partner?" she asked, holding out her hand. It was shaking.

On one side, a shrill voice was telling her that she was making a mistake, that he wasn't worth trusting again, but on the other, a sweet voice told her that this was _right_. The latter gave no reason as to why, but it was more of gut feeling. It just felt, well, right. _Natural_ , even. It was scary.

Soul stared at her hand for a while before saying, "There's really no point in arguing with you, is there?"

Maka nodded. He was finally starting to unwind. Were his walls cracking under the pressure like her own?

"Fine, you win," he said, shoulders sagging in defeat as he took her hand. "But no crazy stunts or I _will_ drag you out of there. Got it?"

"I'll make no such promises."

Soul's loud, dramatic groan in response made her laugh.

 _"I don't mean to interrupt, really, but Mr. Buttaki is waiting."_

 _Oh shit._

Maka's radio jumbled out of her pocket as she scrambled to reply. She completely forgot that Dean was still on the other end. He must've heard _everything._ It wasn't exactly a heartfelt conversation, but it still felt like an invasion of privacy. Soul snorted at her antics and she swatted him away.

"Sorry, we're on our way," Maka replied sheepishly.

"Just give us a minute," Soul tacked on, which surprised her.

 _"Only a minute."_

The radio went to silence, leaving them alone for only a moment. Maka felt out of place, this close to Soul, but also at home. It was weird. Nothing seemed to ever make sense while he was around.

"Why do we need a minute?"

Soul gave her a look; one that had _serious_ written all over it. "I need to know something."

"Yeah?" she said, nerves rattling her tone. "Like what?"

"Do you trust me?"

Maka felt a sharp _pang_ in her chest. It echoed his question like a gong, vibrating throughout her body, _throbbing_. Trust. An overly sensitive subject for her, for their relationship as a whole.

To give Soul credit, Maka did realize that she was the one who proposed that they work as a unit (Medusa's meddling be damned because now it was of free-will). Trust was an essential part of any partnership, especially one where lives were at stake. She knew that (more than most, actually). Regardless, it was going to be a tough pill for her to swallow. She might choke on it.

Soul waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello, earth to Maka? Anybody home?"

Maka blinked. "Yeah, I...I trust you."

It was a blatant lie. One that Soul better catch but, for her sake, not call her out on. If he caught it, she would at least know that he hadn't changed too much, that they still had some sort of connection. He used to be able to read her like a book. Granted, she was an expressive person, but that was beside the point. The main point, as of now, was that she didn't know if she _could_ trust him. After what had happened between them, who could really blame her?

"Good."

Soul didn't sound too confident, Maka could read that much, but she was relieved that he didn't push it. Neither of them were ready to face the past just yet. It had permission to loom over them like a dark storm cloud for a while longer, as far as she was concerned.

" _The minute is up."_

Soul broke the tension with a scoff. "You timed it?"

" _Time is of the essence, Soul. Asura won't be asleep forever."_

"We're leaving now, Dean. Sorry about the wait," Maka replied, trying to ignore the face Soul was making at his radio. He was so childish, it was ridiculous.

" _Not a problem. Report back later, okay? Medusa wants updates on anything you find."_

Maka grimaced at _her_ name but still managed, without adding too much malice, to grit out, "Affirmative."

" _I'll see you on the other side, then."_

With a goofy grin and devious eyes, Soul cut in, too amused for his own good. "Over and out, kid."

" _I'm not_ 一"

The radio was switched off with a loud _click_.

"Was that really necessary?" Maka asked, scolding in tone. She was dealing with a child一a frustratingly attractive man-child. That irked一and aroused一her more than she would like to admit.

Soul shrugged. "Just having a little fun before things get serious. Don't get your plain white panties in a twist."

Maka gasped, face ablaze, and Soul let out a hearty chuckle, dodging the punches she sent his way.

" _Not_ funny."

"Pretty funny," Soul said under his breath, teasing.

"Not funny and _not_ true," she quipped. "I've moved on to _lace_ , thank you very much. I'm not the same _prude_ you once knew. "

Soul's jaw went slack and his speech turned to gibberish一no witty remarks on his part any time soon. Maka broke down into a fit of giggles. The look on his face was absolutely _priceless._ He struggled to relearn proper English, apparently, and sported a mighty blush that rivaled an apple's complexion.

"M-Maybe not," he stuttered, coughing into his fist as if to hide it. "But we really need to go. Don't want the kid to be up our asses about being late."

"His name is Dean, Soul."

"Whatever," he griped, swinging the door open to (make his escape) leave. He sounded like a crotchety old man and the white hair certainly wasn't doing him any favors, which elicited a small snicker from her. Luckily, he didn't hear it and went on his merry way.

Once the door was closed, leaving her alone, she had a moment of deja vu. Soul had left her. _Like before_ , Maka thought. Only this time he was up against something monstrous, something she knew he couldn't handle (and didn't know whether she could handle either). This wasn't the velociraptor science project that brought him to this dreaded place to begin with. This was, quite literally, a freak of nature created to entertain, like a Jurassic show pony. It was _dangerous_ , didn't these people understand that? They just went and created a new dinosaur without any regard for the consequences. It was madness.

The faded woman with the green eyes appeared in Maka's head, hanging her head in shame with the giant tooth in her hands, and Maka clenched her shirt at her chest. She couldn't lose Soul. He was an insensitive bastard, but she wanted him to live. No matter what. She would not let this park of death take another victim. The apparition screamed in her head and she jolted, eyes wide with fear.

"Maka?"

The scream died at the sound of _his_ voice. Soul had popped his head back into the room, staring at her, confused. He looked like a fretful mother hen on the hunt for their lost chick.

"Are you coming?"

Maka pushed her thoughts aside. "Yeah, sorry."

She walked past him, hands tingling when they brushed his. Focus. She needed to focus. If Maka's mind was muddled一because of _him_ (or _her_ )一while she was in Asura's paddock, she could potentially be putting her life on the line. Who knew how long Asura would be knocked out. She needed to stay on her toes.

Maka and Soul一the field expert, man-child, and old man combined into one一were about to enter the lion's den, after all.

* * *

Dean Kidman felt that something was amiss. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it hadn't ceased to wrack his brain since Soul and Maka left.

Something was wrong.

"Mr. Kidman, status report?"

Dean jumped in his chair, startled, and sputtered, "Soul and Maka are inside Asura's paddock."

Medusa clicked her tongue and cupped her chin, pacing the room. "Good, good. Have they reported anything?"

"No. I'll update you the moment I hear from them, Ms. Gorgon."

"That you will," she said, sending a glance his way. "Is something the matter, Dean?"

Dean squirmed in his seat and lowered his gaze. "Yes. It's just that, well, I got word from Mr. Buttaki that Asura lost consciousness at a lower dosage of sedative than usual."

"Well, that doesn't suggest any means of alarm. Asura tired himself out this morning when he attempted another break out. He didn't need much to go down, correct?"

"Yes, but一"

"But nothing. I'd suggest you drop it before you get yourself worked up over nothing. It wouldn't be good for your health."

Dean nodded stiffly. He knew better than to challenge Medusa. The nagging at the back of his mind didn't stop, however, so he really couldn't _drop it_ , could he? A heavy weight pushed down on his conscience so he acted on impulse. The moment Medusa's attention was elsewhere, his fingers flew to his keyboard and his eyes to the monitor.

"Dean," an intern一Tsugami, he thought her name was一murmured by his left ear. She was stationed at the monitor next to his.

He nearly jumped out of his seat.

"W-What?" he stammered.

"Y-You're looking at Asura's biological profile," she said nervously. "Does Ms. Gorgon know?"

 _No,_ he wanted to say. He wanted to come clean, to _confide_ in someone about his concerns. Tsugami couldn't be that someone, sadly. Medusa could crack her easily, and he was sure the poor intern wouldn't want to risk the grand opportunity she was given to work at Jurassic World's Control Center.

Instead, Dean wore a fake smile and said, "Yes, I ran it by her. It's to help Soul and Maka with their research."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Indeed. Now do you mind? I could use some privacy."

Tsugami blinked, abashed, and looked back at her monitor. It made him feel guilty, but at least now she wouldn't meddle into his business.

Dean scanned over Asura's genetic makeup, frowning when he saw the word _classified_ in bold where the animal species that made him a hybrid should be listed. All he was allowed to know was that the animal's base genome was Tyrannosaurus. He shook his head, discouraged, and moved onto Asura's medical records. Again, his eyes flew through the text, trying to find something out of the ordinary.

What his eyes stopped to focus on sent an overwhelming panic through his body. His arms were shaking, his legs, his teeth were _chattering._ It was too much to bear.

"Dean? Are you alright?" Tsugami asked, concern laced in her tone.

No, he was not alright. Far from it, actually. If what he saw was true, people's _lives_ were at stake.

He needed to contact Soul and Maka.

 _Now._


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow. This thing looks like Rexy on steroids."

Joe Buttaki, head keeper for the Indominus Rex and a coffee lover, Soul noted, gave him a perplexed look as he sipped out of his Jurassic World mug.

"That's a weird way to put it."

Soul shrugged. "Been told I have a way with words."

"By a woman?" Joe asked, amused.

Soul coughed into his fist sheepishly. _Not cool_ , he thought. Luckily, Maka was too busy staring at the Indominus一this was her very first _live_ dinosaur, he realized一to see the blotch of red staining his cheeks. She was in her own little world where he and Joe ceased to exist. His dignity, though sparse to begin with, could live to fight another day.

"No comment."

Joe let out a deep chuckle and patted Soul hard on the back. "She must be some woman to make you light up like that. Want my advice, kid?"

He paused for dramatic effect and Soul fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"Grab hold of her and never let her go."

Soul deflated. He was starting to think Maka was too far out of his reach. If she was actually _interested_ in him, her only tell so far would have been the elevator incident, which wasn't monumental. Their interactions since then had improved, but there was still a rift between them一an annoying wedge he wanted to fuck off. There was some promise一Maka's impromptu acceptance of their partnership proved that一but it wasn't enough. He was nearing his wits' end because Maka seemed unreachable. Joe's advice, though good in theory, only seemed to solidify that fact, and it hurt _a lot_.

He really, _really_ fucked up with her. He liked to fuck up everything, apparently.

"Enough about women, Joe. Let's talk about the Indominus."

Joe opened his arms wide and said, "Well here he is in all his glory." He gave Soul a wary look before continuing, "You look a little stiff, Evans. Haven't moved an inch since you laid eyes on him. Are you afraid?"

"Pfft, no."

Soul couldn't lie for shit in the face of this _monster_. The pale, white scales and jagged teeth put him on edge. Hell, the bone-chilling eye markings could make a grown man cry in anguish, and _children_ were expected to worship this thing. It was unbelievable.

"A lot bigger than your raptors, I'm sure," Joe said with a knowing smile. "Must be pretty intimidating for you."

Soul gulped and fixed his collar. "I can handle it."

"Then by all means, check him out for yourself. He won't bite...maybe."

Soul gave Joe a half-hearted glare before he made his move. One step, two step, three step, _whoa_. He was _so_ close to the belly of the beast. Each breath it took reverberated like thunder in his ears, blaring and powerful. The ground was trembling under his feet. He felt so _small_ and insignificant, like a bug waiting to be squashed.

"What have they done," a hushed voice tickled his ear. Soul nearly jumped out of his skin, already frazzled enough, but relaxed once he realized it was Maka. She was close, _too_ close. The urge to push her away from this _freak of science_ was strong, but he resisted. Damn it all, if nothing else, he deserved an award for his self-control.

"Impressive, isn't he?" Joe cut in.

Maka shook her head, and Soul was having trouble reading her. Her strange expression was more of a brick wall than a window to her soul. He couldn't see past it.

"I wouldn't say that," she muttered, reaching out with a slow, hesitant hand.

Without any hesitation, Soul caught her wrist before she could touch the Indominus. _So much for self-control_ , he thought. Unspoken words passed between them in a moment of silence, him insisting she _stop_ , and her chiding him for being _overprotective_. No words, just messages reflecting plain as day in red and green eyes. Maka didn't even have to speak to get under his skin. It was ridiculous.

Joe coughed and said, "Am I interrupting something or…?"

"No, it's nothing," Maka replied, pulling her hand out of Soul's grasp. It irked him, but he was appeased when she didn't try reaching out again. Her touching Asura was a _no-no_ as far as he was concerned. His _safety protocol_ , as Maka would call it, wouldn't have any of it.

"If you say so," Joe said, scratching his chin. He didn't look too convinced.

Soul caught a glimpse of the wall, covered with claw marks, and pointed that way. "Escape attempts?"

A valiant一and reasonable一attempt at a subject change, no doubt.

Joe nodded and took a big swig of his coffee before saying, "He's a restless one, always trying to get out. That's why we're raising the walls. He's gotten pretty damn close to his ticket to freedom."

Some of the claw marks _did_ graze the top of the wall. It sent chills up Soul's spine.

"He was smart enough to pick the least structurally sound wall," Maka added. "The construction must've tipped him off."

"He's smart, Ms. Albarn, but not that smart."

Maka squinted her eyes, focused and _cute_ , Soul thought. Boy, was he in _deep_.

"Something tells me that he's smarter than you think."

Joe looked to him, at a loss, and Soul shrugged. "Gotta agree, Joe. She gets these gut feelings sometimes, and they're usually right. I've learned to just roll with it."

Maka was taken aback for a moment, he could see it in her eyes, but then she smiled at him. A _real_ smile. It was small and only lasted a second but it hit its mark: his heart. Damn, he sounded like a lovestruck fool, _not cool_.

Suddenly, there was static.

" _...Maka…."_

Soul perked up. "The hell?"

" _...Soul…"_

"It's coming from your pocket radios," Joe said, pointing to their waists.

Maka hurried to fish her radio out of her pocket and flipped the switch. "Dean? Do you read me?"

The static got louder, and Soul cringed. _Like nails on a chalkboard_ , he thought.

Maka seemed panicked. "Are you there? What's wrong?"

"Bad signal?" Joe offered. "Don't get too worked up. Could be nothing."

"Or something," she added tersely, tinkering with her radio.

Soul started pacing out of habit; he did this a lot when his raptors frustrated the hell out of him. He walked around Asura, leaving the radio debacle to the them. The static was grating on his ears, so he had settled on seeking out solace instead of joining in. Granted, the Indominus wasn't a very comforting sight. He stopped in front of the beast's jaws, head-on, and shuddered. One bite is all it would take, and Solomon Ethan Evans would be no more.

" _...signal….blocked…"_

Again, the static got louder.

"Dean? Damn it!" Maka yelled, frustrated.

Soul took a step closer, and his clothes wrinkled with each warm breath Asura took. He cringed and pinched his nose. Its breath was _vile_.

" _...tracking...implant…."_

"Asura's tracking implant! That must be jamming the signal," Joe exclaimed.

"I think you're right," Maka replied, meandering away from Asura. "Might help the signal if I'm not so close."

Soul reached for its snout, ignoring the alarm going off in his head. It was _wrong_ , but he was a victim of temptation. Would it feel just like the raptors? He _had_ to know. For a second, hesitation. His hand stopped in midair and he shook his head. He was about to pull a _Maka-move_ , a risk taken when stricken by curiosity (or for the hell of it, as Maka seemed to do). It was so unlike him, but she must have really rubbed off on him. _She's such a bad influence_ , he thought.

" _...proper...sedatives…"_

"It's clearer, but I'm missing some words still," Maka murmured.

Soul kneeled and quickly swiped his finger against a tooth, curiosity getting the better of him. It didn't feel any different from a velociraptor tooth, but it made his heart rate spike. Being so close to Asura, in general, was very exhilarating, but touching him was on a profoundly different level. Soul thought his heart might explode.

" _...faking…."_

"What does that mean?" Maka thought aloud.

Joe cupped his chin. "I'm not sure."

 _Twitch._

Soul squinted his eyes. Did Asura move? It could've been his mind playing tricks on him or Asura's breathing, but he swore he saw something, like an eye fluttering. His palms started to sweat and his blood pressure skyrocketed. Something just seemed _off_ , and it made his skin crawl.

The static died down.

" _Get out of there!"_

"Dean, what's going on?" Maka asked, alarmed.

" _Asura is faking it! He wasn't tranquilized properly!"_

"W-What?" Maka stammered.

" _Asura is awake! He didn't get enough sedative and pretended to go down! You need to get out NOW!"_

Joe looked taken aback, panicked but skeptical. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? This is an animal we're talking about here. It's not _that_ smart."

Soul tip-toed around Asura, stopping once he came face-to-face with the beast's colossal eye. His nose was only an inch from touching it, a sneeze away from death itself. He stood still and observed, waiting. His instincts told him to grab Maka and _run_ but his inner-Maka told him to _stay_. He needed to know if what he saw was the truth. Did Asura _actually_ move? Granted, he knew the more he pushed it, the closer he would get to being eaten. If Asura was awake, he, Maka, and Joe would be dead. If not, they would live. He was playing with fire and risking everyone getting burned. Fuck, this was so not like him.

" _Mr. Buttaki, you've seen the film! Asura is intelligent and cunning. He problem solves! You know what I'm talking about. You can't deny this! You need to go, NOW!"_

"I don't like this," Maka cut in, on edge. "We really need to go."

" _Bloody hell! Get out NOW! There's no time for this!"_

 _Blink._

Soul fell back, surprised and eyes wide in panic. Death looked back at him in the form of a giant, yellow eye piercing through him like a sword, nearly paralyzing him. His blood ran cold and his heart stopped. Asura _did_ move, he thought. Asura was awake. _Oh fuck_.

"Soul! We're-"

"RUNNING!" He called back at the top of his lungs.

He scrambled to his feet and darted around Asura's head as the beast came alive. The ground shook, tree branches snapped, and the wind screamed; Mother Nature herself quivered with fear in the face of Asura's might. The monster's claws dug into the dirt, leaving ditches, while it rose to its feet. The strong gust and loud _crunch_ behind Soul defined his narrow escape from death. Asura let out a bloodcurdling roar. Soul's eardrums nearly exploded and he stumbled down to his hands and knees.

"Soul!"

Soul's ears were ringing as he scrambled to his feet, in a daze. Everything registered in slow motion and Maka's screams seemed mute. It was like a silent horror film. Shit had ultimately hit the fan and was blowing chunks everywhere, he thought. It was a nightmare of chaos, but he needed to get Maka and himself out of there no matter what.

"SOUL!"

 _Now._

Soul made a mad dash for the exit, Asura practically on his heels, and scooped up Maka as he ran because their lives depended on it (and the idiot had actually stopped to wait for him, _what the actual fuck_ ). She squawked in protest, but in the face of Asura's wrath, she grit her teeth and cooperated with him (for the first time in _forever_ , it felt like). With her arms wrapped around his neck and her head against his shoulder, Soul felt a sharp pang of nostalgia echo in his chest. It lingered for a second, playing with his knotted heartstrings, until another deafening cry from Asura banished it from his mind.

He needed to stay focus, damn it. A monstrous freak of science was trying to _eat_ him and Maka. There was no time for mushy thoughts.

"It's gaining on us!" Maka yelled in his ear. In response, he picked up the pace and tried to tune out the booming _thumps_ of Asura's feet behind him.

Maybe if he didn't think about it, it would go away.

Another bone-chilling _roar_ pierced the air.

Nope, still there.

"J-Joe!" Maka called.

 _Shit_ , Soul thought. He forgot about Joe.

Up ahead, Joe was fiddling with the lock panel to the main door; the one big enough to transport Asura in or out of the enclosure. The door started to slide open and Joe turned to him and Maka, a grave look on his face. Joe looked utterly conflicted, eyes wide with fear and hands trembling as he pressed a defined red button, and Soul started to connect the dots in his head. _Oh shit._

"Joe, wait!" Soul yelled, but to no avail. The red button initiated the door to start closing and Joe slipped out, mouthing _I'm sorry_ as he went.

"C-Coward!" Maka cried. The betrayal etched into her face mirrored what he had seen four years ago, back when his world fell apart because of Wes and _her_.

Soul still hadn't forgiven himself for both accounts. He was a professional fuck-up.

"We're not going to make it," Maka uttered in his ear. "Run faster, Soul!"

But he couldn't afford to fuck up this time.

With all his might, Soul broke into a faster sprint and, with not even a second to spare, squeezed himself and Maka through the door, Asura still hot on their heels. They collapsed into a heap of awkwardーchest on chest, one face smothered into a shoulder while the other hit gravel, legs tangledーbut shared a sigh of relief.

It was over.

Or so they thought.

A fierce war cry split their eardrums in two, followed by a loud _crash_. Asura had other plans, apparently. He would not be contained so easily. The door's very foundation started to crumble, and a long, sharp claw tried to reach them, the tip just barely scuffing Soul's boot.

"S-Soul!"

"What the actual fuck?!"

Another screeching roar, monstrous jaws thrashing in the doorway, and razor-edged claws digging into the dirt while trying to reach for him and Maka.

 _Holy shit._

Maka sat up abruptly and shoved Soul off, barely tugging him away from Asura's clutches at the last second by the hem of his shirt.

"Get up!"

Soul stared at her in awe for only a second, he swore, but it still got him a swift boot to the ribs.

"Up!"

Soul groaned and got to his feet, catching Maka by surprise when he took her arm and dragged her behind the jeep. Running from Asura would be too great of a feat to manage, so he had to settle for the next not-so-great option: hiding. When the dam burst, rubble flying everywhere as Asura broke through the wall with a triumphant roar, Soul dropped to his stomach and jerked Maka down with him. She yelped but fell to silence when Asura's foot stamped the ground in front of the jeep. A low growl rattled in the air, and Maka covered her mouth and his, eyes wide with fear.

Silence.

Nothing but heavy breathing between them and Asura for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, like someone had flipped a switch, a car alarm went off.

Their heads whipped to the right, where another jeep was parked parallel to them, lights flashing and alarm blaring. A frantic Joe Buttaki sat in the driver's seat, scrambling under the wheel for the keys he must've dropped on the floor, from what Soul could gather.

Another deep, rumbling growl filled the air, followed by Asura's booming footsteps. They thundered toward to the other jeep, and Soul swallowed hard, his grip on Maka tightening. He felt her motion to get up, her want to _scream_ , but he kept her firmly in place, hand over hers to keep her mouth shut. _No Maka-moves today_ , he thought. _Sorry, Maka_. _Sorry, Joe._

Watching Joe rise in his seat, keys finally in hand, made what happened next hard for Soul to watch, but hard for him to look away. Soul witnessed the _life_ leave Joe's body the moment the man glanced out his car door window, coming face-to-face with a giant, yellow eye.

It was game over.

Everything happened so fast. A terrible roar, the screeching of metal being torn and crushed as a door is thrown off to the side, _a sickening scream_ , _a bone-crushing crunch, and a finalizing gulp._

Then, silence.

The other jeep's interior was soaked in _blood_. Joe's blood. Asura even left some bits behind.

Soul wanted to hurl, _wanted to shoot himself in the foot_ , but he settled on crawling underneath the jeep, pulling a limp Maka along with him. Her eyes were glazed over in shock and her face looked pale, like she had just seen a ghost. God, how he wanted to erase that bloody scene from her memory, to take away all the pain and guilt. He wanted nothing more than to _protect_ her, but he was failing miserably. Still a professional fuck-up, no doubt.

A low humming, similar to the raptors' clicking but deeper, reverberated in the air, breaking the silence. Soul froze, on his back with Maka beside him, and held his breath. The humming got louder and louder, closer and closer, and he finally snapped. He reached up and tampered with the fuel tank, ignoring Maka's silent protests as he doused them in gasoline to cover their scent.

If Asura flipped the jeep, they were dead. But if he didn't they would _live_. Soul didn't like their odds but fuck, did he hope that they were in their favor.

A strong puff of air rustled their hair and frisked their skin. Soul tried so hard not to look, he really did, but from the corner of his eye he saw the White Death: Asura's pale jawline aligned with the jeep, nostrils flaring and searching. Subconsciously, he took Maka's hand and squeezed. She squeezed back, much to his surprise, and her hand trembled along with his own.

With his other hand, he grabbed the claw around his neck and brought it to his lips. _Wes_ , he thought, _might be seeing you soon. I'm sorry._

Another long, painful silence.

All Soul could hear was his heart pounding in his chest. He wondered, on a whim, if his heart and Maka's were in sync after all these years, even if only in peril. Damn, even with death knocking on his door, Soul's heart still ached for _her_. What a pathetic way to go, together with the girl of his dreams but also not. He felt cheated.

 _Snort._

With a big huff, Asura raised his head and marched away. A resounding roar settled in the air after him and, just like that, he was gone. A ghost among the wilds of the park now. _Wild and free._

Soul sat up as best he could and wiped the sweat from his brow, gasping for air. "You good?" he grunted once he found his voice. It was hoarse and riddled with guilt and despair. He'd just watched a man _die_ in that beast's monstrous jaws. Joe's death was on _him_. Yet another death to add to the list. It beat down on his conscience like a jackhammer.

Maka didn't appear to be fairing well either. She looked deathly pale and shook violently like she was possessed, hands covering her ears and eyes sealed shut. A choked sob pierced the air, and she quickly covered her mouth. He didn't know what to do.

"Maka?"

Maka rubbed her eyesー _she's crying_ , he thoughtーand nodded, still shaking.

"I'll l-live."

"Are youー"

"Drop it, Soul."

Soul fell flat on his back and heaved a sigh of relief, but Maka concerned the hell out of him. Judging by the way she snapped at him, he wasn't going to get any answers, so he would let it be for now. Would do him no good to rile her up anymore than she already was.

"I'm still kicking," he uttered out, but Maka probably ignored him.

The bigger question that now loomed over their heads was _for how long?_

" _Soul! Maka! Are you there?!"_

The radio buzzed to life but Maka didn't respond. She was staring up at the engine, eyes glossed over, in her own little world. She was done talking, so this time Soul took the radio with a shaky hand and mumbled, "Here, kid."

" _Oh thank god! Is everyone alright?"_

"J-Joe's dead," he blurted. Maka fidgeted next to him and flipped on her side to face away. Soul thought he heard her vomiting, followed by dry heaving and sobbing. He cringed and looked the other way.

" _..."_

Soul rolled out from under the jeep and stared at the footprints Asura left behind leading to the park.

"Houston, we have a _major_ problem."

* * *

The Gyrosphere rideーor the hamsterball ride, as Jesse liked to call itーwas even better than how Gabriel imagined it. It was, as much as he hated to agree with his brother, like he turned into a hamster, rolling around and strapped in his oversized, remote controlled and camouflaged hamsterball. He steered with a joystick while a small monitor showed pictures of the herbivore dinosaurs in the area, spewing facts he already knew by heart. He used to recite these _dino_ facts to his Dad before bed when he was little. Times had changed, sadly, but he tried to focus on the amazing here and now.

Too bad they had yet to see a single dinosaur.

And Jesse was being a _butt_.

"Jess."

Nothing but the steady tap of a foot on metal.

" _Jess._ "

A rhythmic hum joined the beat.

"Oh my god, _JESS,_ " Gabriel said, tugging Jesse's headphones down. "Are you even paying attention?"

Jesse scowled and swatted him away. "Leave me alone, _nerdlord_."

"Jerkface," Gabriel countered with a huff.

"Dorkwad."

" _Loser_ zoid."

" _Ass_ wich," Jesse spat, and Gabriel punched him in the shoulder.

"No swear words!" he yelled and, with a scowl, tacked on, "Why are you being such a butt?"

"M'not," Jesse grumbled. "Just lay off."

Jesse made an attempt to go back to the magical world of _Ipod playlist_ but Gabriel wasn't having it. He snatched Jesse's Ipod and stuffed it in his shorts with a defiant look in his eyes. Jesse looked dumbfounded.

"What the?!" Jesse screeched, but his arms stayed in his lap. Gabriel grinned triumphantly. He had his brother now.

"That's what you get for being a butt," he teased, and Jesse huffed. He looked angry, but there was something else in his eyes. Gabriel could see it, if only barely. Was there a crack in his brother's brick wall?

"Why are you being so cranky, anyway?" he asked suddenly, curious. On any rare occasion that his brother looked ready to open up, Gabriel had to take the bull by the horns because opportunities like this happened only once every other blue moon.

Jesse shifted in his seat and tilted his head toward his side, staring out at nothing but green. "It's nothing."

"...is it about Uncle Soul?"

Jesse made a face and grasped at the ghost of his Ipod, practically squirming in his seat. With nowhere to run, he stayed silent and refused to make eye contact. Gabriel had hit the nail on the head with a mallet, apparently. It was time to get answers.

"Why does Uncle Soul make you so mad?"

No answer.

"Jess?"

Silence.

"What did he ever do to you?"

"Nothing," Jesse shouted suddenly, making Gabriel jump in his seat. "Absolutely nothing."

"I-I don't get it, Jess," he mumbled to his feet, stricken by nerves. "That doesn't explain anything."

He got nothing in return. No answers. The crack got patched before Gabriel could squeeze his way in.

"Holy shit."

Gabriel clenched his fists in his lap. "Jesse!"

"No, bro look," Jesse said, grabbing Gabriel's face by the chin and angling it upwards. " _Holy shit._ "

"What are youー" he managed to say just before his jaw hit the floor. "Oh. My. God."

A triceratops marched alongside them, its feet thundering a mighty tune that was better than anything on Jesse's playlist by a mile. Long-necked Apatosauruses walked slowly up ahead of them, adding a deeper bass to the already catchy tune. The billed Parasaurolophuses with the tube-like horn atop their heads jogged past them, picking up the pace. Pachycephalosauruses butted their domed-shaped heads together, acting as percussion. Gallimimus flocked by them, the pitter-pattering of their feet adding a higher pitch to the piece. It was a Jurassic symphony, and Gabriel was trying so hard not to _flip out_.

Jesse lifted Gabriel's chin up with a grin. "You're starting to drool."

"Quiet," he shushed.

"Nerd," Jesse teased, and Gabriel swatted at him.

"Don't pretend like you're not amazed too!"

As if on cue the herd started to run, and Jesse, looking strangely giddy, pushed the joystick forward to match their stride. The Gyrosphere roared to life and rolled into the center of the herd, like Jesse and Gabriel themselves were apart of it.

Jesse smiled, eyes gleaming with mirth. "Okay, I give, this is cool."

"I knew it!"

"Yeah, yeah, let's shift this thing into hyperdrive," Jesse replied, hand clutching the joystick.

Gabriel grinned and placed his hand on top of Jesse's. "Ready when you are."

They nodded to each other and pushed the joystick as far as it would go to gain speed, only to grunt in surprise when the hamsterball jerked to a stop instead. The herd raced by them, leaving Gabriel and Jesse nothing but a dust cloud and the fading sound of their marching symphony. It seemed like a tragedy.

"What was that?" Gabriel whined. His herd was running away without him. He needed to catch up and _fast_.

Jesse toggled the joystick. "I don't know. It just stopped for some reason."

Suddenly, the monitor sprang to life.

" _You are out of bounds. Please turn around."_

"What? But the dinosaurs are over there!" Gabriel said, pointing wildly ahead.

"Hold on. I got this." Jesse started rummaging through his pocket and smirked when he pulled something out. The all-in-one pocket tool thingy he had gotten for Christmas that past year (Gabriel had no idea _what_ to call it, in all honesty). He then unbuckled his seatbelt and hunched over the monitor, unscrewing and lifting up the metal plating on the back.

"What are you doing?"

"Cheating," Jesse said as he tinkered around with the wiring. After a few minutes, the monitor's screen faded to black. "There. Try to move it now."

Gabriel was uncertain, but did as he was told. The Gyrosphere inched forward on command.

He gasped. "What did you do?"

Jesse grinned and held up his pocket tool. "Magic."

"You carry that thing around with you everywhere?"

"Yep."

A small pause.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best big brother ever?"

"Not enough," Jesse replied, placing his hand atop Gabriel's. "Now let's go have some fun, shall we?

Gabriel smirked and pushed the joystick forward. "We shall."

They rolled ahead to catch up to the herd, the parkwide alarm falling on deaf ears without the monitor to warn them.

A low, rattling growl could be heard from the treeline, but not by the brothers as they pressed onward without a care in the world. A beady, yellow eye peeked from the brush and locked onto the herd. In an instant, though, it was gone, followed only by the strong whoosh of a white tail.

The brothers were not alone in the chase anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Elevator doors opened up to chaos.

There were alarms blaring, monitors channel-surfing security cameras, people scrambling and yelling, everyone panicking, like a tornado had stormed through the Control Center.

"Yes, we have a Code 19! Asset out of containment, I repeat, asset out of containment!"

"We need rescue boats at the docks, ASAP!"

"Has the evacuation sequence been initiated yet?"

"People are gathering in the Park Square now."

"I just lost the signal on the Indominus's tracking implant!"

"It's got to be a glitch. Track it again!"

"I can't! Asura is completely off grid now."

"Damn it!"

"Sweety, I love you. I just want you to know that."

Soul stomped off the elevator amidst the whirlwind of people, still shaken up and soaked in oil, ready to give Medusa a piece of his mind. Not much to his surprise, Maka beat him to the punch.

She strolled out of the elevator and marched straight down the aisle, coming nose-to-nose with Medusa, growling, "What the hell was that?!"

Soul felt a chill crawl up his spine at her tone. It took a lot of guts to walk up to Medusa Gorgon like that, guns ablazing. The woman had a reputation for having quite the bite to match her snobby bark, and she liked to swallow her victimsーthe brave ones who got in her wayーwhole.

"Do you have any idea what you've done, _Medusa_?" Maka spat, glaring boldly into the woman's snake eyes. Medusa looked pissed, but she bit her tongue. There wasn't a rebuttal to be heard.

 _Damn_ , he thought, _Maka really cut her down to size._

" _Dean_ ," Medusa hissed, pushing past Maka without so much as blinking an eye. "Who did it?"

 _Or not_.

Maka turned red and simmeredーSoul could practically see the smoke coming out of her earsーand looked to him as if to say: _Why the hell aren't you backing me up?_ He cowered for a second and relayed back with a scowl: _Give me a second, woman._ She set a rapid pace with that confrontation and, quite frankly, he hadn't caught up yet. Something tugged at the back of his mind and made it hard for him to think straight. He felt like he was forgetting something, something important. It tugged and tugged but his brain still couldn't make sense of it.

What was he forgetting?

"Well?" Medusa said through grit teeth, breaking Soul's train of thought. "I asked you a question, Kidman."

Dean puffed out his chest, but Soul saw the way he squirmed in his chair under her wicked stare. His hands shook in his lap and his forehead was slick with sweat. Soul saw the fear in the boy's eyes, and the gavel struck the block in his mind.

"Who did what, Ms. Gorgon?" Dean replied with a feign of innocenceーlike a plaintiff pleading not guiltyーand Soul held his breath for the poor kid. Medusa looked ready to strike at any moment, fangs out and dripping with venom. To give the kid credit, he didn't break eye contact with her. It was gold and gold, mouse and snake, sincerity and cunning, having a staredown.

"Who leaked Code 19 to the rest of the park?" Medusa demanded, slamming her fist on his desk.

Dean flinched. "I-I don't know, ma'am. Could have been anybody."

She leaned in, and Soul barely heard her whisper, "Was it you?"

Dean's face drained of all color. The snake had started to squeeze the life out of the poor mouse, and he choked out, "N-No."

Medusa was about to strike, and Maka looked ready to jump back into the fray, but this time Soul had rushed ahead of her to take the lead.

"Medusa," Soul warned as he stepped between the snake and her prey. "We have bigger things to worry about. Your little science project is on the loose, and he's seeing _all of this_ for the first time," he paused to point to all of the monitors lining the walls. "He'll attack anything that moves, and we have thousands of people still stuck on this island. Our top priority should be to stop Asura and make sure everyone is evacuated safely, shouldn't it?"

Medusa casted a cold glare as she said, "Yes, that _should_ be our main concern."

"Then why the hell would you try keep this hidden from people?" he asked, exasperated. "Innocent people's lives are at stake. I don'tー" He stopped as the pieces started to fit together and boy, did it paint a bloody picture. Medusa was truly cold-blooded. _Son of a bitch._ "You want that thing back alive. Hell, you thought we could just catch him and cover this up like it never happened! Well, I call bullshit! I saw that monster eat somebody. That's _never_ going away."

From the corner of his eye he saw Maka shudder. Joe's death was still a fresh, aching wound that they each shared. The bloody scene still flashed before his eyes even now, and he struggled to suppress a gag. Bringing it up so crudely was not a good idea, judging by his sick stomach and Maka's ghostly face. _Not fucking cool_ , he thought as he grasped the claw around his neck. _Not cool at all._

"Mr. Evans," Medusa hissed, slipping Joe's death under the rug as if it were nothing. Nothing of top priority, at least. "The park is at risk. What does it say about us if we can't recapture an escaped asset?"

Soul recovered the best he could and deadpanned, "I think it says plenty if it got out in the first place."

"They'll shut us _down._ "

"Good riddance."

"Your project with the raptors will be _terminated_."

Soul opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. His mouth ran dry like the Sahara, and the sick feeling came roaring back from within the pit of his stomach. His _family_ was going to be taken away from him, his very flesh and blood as far as he was concerned _._ He didn't know what to feel, other than empty and filled to the brim with guilt. _Wes_ , he thought, gripping the claw tighter. _Fuck, I'm sorry for letting you down_. His brother's dream swirled down the drain, it seemed, just out of his reach. He had been so close, damn it.

"It's too late for salvation," Maka cut in, marching to the center of the room. "Focus on cleaning up the aftermath and getting everyone out of this _alive_."

 _The voice of reason,_ he thought. _The angel in the room._

Everyone looked to Maka for guidance in that moment. Not a single pair of eyes spared Medusa a glance. The woman bubbled with anger, but nobody paid her any heed. The tides had favored them, for once, and not the power hungry snake. Damn, Soul was so proud of her, his _angel_. It only stung that he couldn't express this intimately whatsoever. A low blow, but he would take it for her. Hell, he'd take anything for her, even a silver bullet.

"W-We lost Asura in Sector B," Dean spoke up.

"Not even a mile off from the Gyrosphere field," a young girl added, shaking in her seat next to Dean.

"And there's no way to track him again?" Maka asked, mouth set in a firm line.

"No," another monitor man replied. "Tracker must be destroyed if we can't get any reading whatsoever."

Maka cursed under her breath.

"I think we should focus on the evacuation," Dean said. "Get everyone off the island first, worry about Asura later."

Soul sighed. "Sounds all well and good when you put it like that, kid, but there's no guarantees that Asura won't interfere."

"He's at the northern tip of the island, and the boats will make their descent from the south."

"That thing can move fast," Soul countered. "Just about bit my boot off while I was in mid stride. I wouldn't doubt he could make it to the docks before evacuation."

"We have to try," Dean insisted. "What other choice do we have?"

"Could kill it."

"We will _not_ kill our billion dollar asset, _Evans_ ," Medusa snarled. Funny, he almost forgot she was still in the room.

"Well, got any better ideas? I'd love to hear'em."

"People are loading onto the boats now," the girl next to Dean spoke up. "Evacuation is well underway. The whole northern half of the island has been vacated. We might be able to beat Asura, after all."

"That's good," Maka replied. "Very good." She then looked to Soul as she said, "Nobody's hunting the Indominus. We'll put all our efforts into getting everyone safely off the island. Only after that's _over_ ," she stressed, "will we bury the beast ten feet under. Got it?"

Everyone, aside from him and Medusa, yelled, "Affirmative!"

"Sure," Soul grunted. There was no room to argue with her, anyway.

"You're all fools," Medusa gritted out as she stepped onto the elevator. "All of you. Especially you," she snarled, finger aimed at Maka. "This park is going to die because of your meddling. I shouldn't have let you come here."

"Actually," Soul began. "This place died the moment you gave the order to hatch a mutant dinosaur. I'd say it's all your fault, Ms. Gorgon. Have fun climbing out of debt." He tacked on a wave at the end to put the cherry on top.

Medusa looked about ready to lunge at him, but the elevator doors closed before she had the chance.

The entire room breathed a sigh of relief.

"So immature," Maka mumbled with a smile.

He smirked. "If you'd have your way, she would've gotten bitch slapped to hell."

"True."

Soul chuckled and Maka joined him with a hearty laugh.

"Oh my god," Dean said suddenly with a chill in his voice, catching them all off guard.

Maka perked up and whirled to face him. "What's wrong, Dean?"

"A gyrosphere is still in the field."

"You gotta be fucking with me," Soul said, stepping up from behind Dean to look at the monitor. "Who the hell would still be out there?"

Dean's hands flew to his keyboard. "I can check to see who swiped their guest passes for gyrosphere 54."

"Do it," Maka ordered.

"Already on it."

After some tinkering around on Dean's part, the monitor showed two names, and Soul felt his heart sink down into the pit of his stomach.

Gabriel and Jesse Evans. His nephews. _Wes's_ boys. That's what had been itching at the back of his mind! He had completely forgotten about them, the two kids that had been deemed _his_ responsibility for the week, and now they were in danger. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ If anything happened to them, Soul wouldn't be able to forgive himself. They were all he had left of his brother; Wes's legacy. He couldn't lose them.

 _Shit_ , he thought, shaking and pale in the face. _What do I do?_

Maka looked at him, eyes wide and face stricken with fear. "Soul, aren't those yourー"

"I'm going out there," he declared, heart racing like a freight train as he stormed over to the elevator. He was about to press the button when somebody grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Soul, don't," Maka said, and he laughed. He laughed like a madman. Sanity left him as fear took root, flooding his system with panic. He turned to face her and ripped his arm out of her grasp.

"You can't stop me."

"Soul, please. You're not thinking straight."

"Fuck off, Maka!"

" _Soul,_ " Maka stressed as she took his hands. The look in her eyes were so soft and so inviting that he bit his tongue before he could let loose another string of curses. He fell silent. She squeezed his hands and offered a small smile, and he squeezed back to say that she had his undivided attention. Soul got lost in her eyes and, if only for a moment, the panic fled his system. He felt relief.

"They're going to be okay," Maka whispered, eyes peering deeply into his. "I promise."

"I-I can't lost them too," Soul stammered, shaking his head. He then tore his hands out of her grasp and clenched them at his sides. His wall was starting to crumble and he didn't have the strength to pick up the pieces. "I can't lose them. I _can't_."

"Shhh, I know."

"Maka, please," Soul begged. His eyes bled desperation. "I have to find them before Asura does."

"I know, I know."

"Everyone's caught up in the evacuation," Dean chimed in grimly. "And it's not like anybody would volunteer to look for them aside from Soul. I think you should let him go, for the boy's sake."

"He can't go out there alone!"

"We don't have a lot of options. Think about the kids, Maka," Dean emphasized.

Maka bit her lip and shook her head.

"Let me go, Maka," Soul pleaded. It had to be him. Nobody but him. He couldn't fuck up this time, not like how he did with Wes, and Maka knew that. She knew more than anybody else. _Damn_ , he thought, _she knew too much_. "I gotta do this. I'm the only one who can and you know it."

"I...are you sure there's no one else we can send out there?" She looked back at Dean and frowned when he shook his head.

"No one. Just me," Soul stated simply as red stared boldly into green. Nothing she could say would change his mind. Absolutely nothing. He shook with resolve (or most likely fear).

"It's too dangerous."

"I know."

"You could die."

"I'm aware."

A pause, followed by a glare.

"You're an idiot."

"So I've been told."

For a moment, a surge of intensity thrummed in the air; Maka was practically radiating with it like a car engine giving off heat. He held his breath. A bead of sweat slid down his temple as he waited for a response. Then, "I'm coming with you."

Another pause, longer than the first.

" _No,_ " Soul deadpanned. _No way in hell_ , he thought.

"Not up for debate. I'm going. End of story."

" _Maka._ "

" _Soul_."

In that moment, he wanted to strangle her _and_ protect her. Both at the same time. He couldn't settle for one thing over the other because she was an enigma wrapped into a petite but toned body that never ceased to _piss_ him off. She didn't make sense to him. That was probably what drew him to her in the first place. _Damn._

"Honestly," Dean said with a scowl, "both of you quit your bickering and go get those boys before Asura does."

Soul and Maka glanced at each other, huffing and puffing, but nodded in agreement. There was no time to argue with Jesse and Gabriel at stake.

Soul took a moment to try to get back whatever composure he had left; Maka had nearly sucked him dry. _Jesse and Gabriel_ , he thought. _Focus on them, not her._ His nephews needed him and, damn it all, he would grit his teeth and let Maka tag along into dangerous waters for their sake. His blood pressure might leap to the heavens but he would bear it.

"Fine," he griped, narrowing his eyes at Maka. "But get in my way, so help me god I'llー"

"Drag me to the docks and ship me back to the states," she drawled to mock him. "I get it."

He wanted to slap her and kiss her at the same time. Another damn confusing contradiction. Maka was full of them, apparently.

"I'll stay here and help you in anyway that I can," Dean said as he shuffled through his desk drawers. The contents were neatly organized and _labeled._ If Soul wasn't freaking the fuck out on the inside, he'd surely make a sarcastic comment about it. The kid was a neat-a-holic.

Maka shook her head. "Dean, no. You've done enough for us."

"Not _enough_ for Joe."

Soul and Maka's eyes fell to the floor as the grueling images of blood and the chilling _crunch_ sprang back to life in their minds.

"I won't mess up this time with you two. I swear on my life."

"Fine." Maka had given in. "What do you have in mind?"

Dean took out what looked like a RC helicopter and placed it on his desk. Soul squinted his eyes. There was a camera built into it; he could see the lens.

"I'll tag along with this. I'll be more than just your contact this time, and no more static or blind spots."

"If that's what'll help you, kid, fine," Soul said as he patted Dean on the back. He couldn't argue with the kid's plan with the reasoning behind it: redemption. Something he sought to strive for too. "Do what feels right."

Dean nodded and tapped his earpiece. "Keep your radios on and I'll be watching your backs."

"Thank you," Maka said with a small smile, and Dean smiled back. "Now let's get this thing up and running."

The two nerds went to work on the mini drone, and Soul zoned out.

 _Save the boys and protect Maka at all costs_ , he thought. _How hard could it be?_

Soul gave Maka a quick once-over as she helped activate the kid's toy, seeing all the courage and all the determination buried deep within her, invisible to the naked eye (except for his), and he quivered in fear.

On a difficulty scale of one to ten, he decided, a _hundred_. That's how hard. He was royally fucked.

But, with all the power vested in him, he would _not_ let Jesse and Gabriel suffer the same fate as their father.

"You ready, Soul?" Small rotors circled by Maka's head, whirring as the lens pointed at him; he could see his face on Dean's monitor.

He nodded. "Let's go."

Soul walked onto the elevator with a flaming blonde at his side and a copter buzzing by his ear, and his resolve, though a little unsteady, had never shown so bright through the cracks in his wall.

* * *

"Get all of the embryos off the island, whatever you do. Nothing gets left behind."

"Yes, Ms. Gorgon," Stein said in monotone, spinning in his office chair. He watched Medusa gather up all her things in a hurry, face boiling red and teeth grating, and he adjusted his spectacles. "You won't see them off?"

"No, I have some other business to attend to."

"We're in the middle of an emergency, Ms. Gorgon," Stein said casually. "You should really leave before things get out of hand. Perhaps you can take the helicopter with my friends and I." He gestured to the vials behind him with a crazed grin.

"As I said, I have unfinished business here. I'll join you stateside at my estate tomorrow, and from there we can discuss how we'll continue on with the project," she said as she gripped the door handle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go."

Stein stopped his chair on a dime and peered into her snake eyes. "Does your business require the lock code to the raptor paddock by any chance?"

Medusa didn't answer. She walked out the door with her hands stuffed in her suit jacket pockets, and Stein could hear the faint sound of paper crinkling just before the door clicked shut.

The snake in the grass had a trick up her sleeve.

* * *

Maka stared at the orange monstrosity with disgust. "No way in hell am I getting on that thing."

She watched Soul slouch back on his bike, a rifle slung over his shoulder, with one hand gripping a handle (which both of them had _streamers_ on the ends, how childish). He looked frustrated, narrowing his eyes and grunting curses under his breath. He also looked unbelievably _hot_ , but that was beside the point. _Tanned skin, lean muscle, and an appetizing collarbone was not the point_ , she repeated in her head like a mantra. She would _not_ get on that bike. No way. It wasn't happening. Not in a million years.

"It's either this or the boat. Your choice."

Maka groaned. Soul knew what punches to throw and where to hit. She couldn't argue with him because, in all honesty, he'd ditch her in a heartbeat if it meant keeping her out of harm's way. She knew he would, so that's why she begrudgingly got in the saddle behind him, hands wrapping around his middle.

"You good?"

 _No_ , Maka wanted to say, but she kept her lips sealed. Her heartbeat spiked like she was racing the Kentucky Derby and her arms felt like jello. She wasn't alone, though. Under her touch, Soul seemed paralyzed. His breathing would stall and his back lost its usual slouch. And, if she focused and listened hard enough, she could hear his heart thumping like a freight train against his rib cage; ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump. _Definitely not alone_ , she thought. Despite that, however, there was an odd feeling of warmth and pleasure swelling inside of her from being so close to him. It felt right but awkward. It was cozy but uncomfortable (partly because her cheek was squished against his rifle but, _obviously_ , it was more than that). Everything was just so complicated between them.

"I'm good," she mumbled into his back. Soul squirmed, probably from her warm breath soaking into his shirt, and she cracked a smile.

"Good."

Soul revved the gears, which made her hold on tighter for dear life, and they sped off into the tropical brush like a dart (with an RC copter on their six, mind you. Dean hadn't said anything since they left). A scream lodged in her throat, but she held it in. She held back as much as she could. _Do it for Soul_ , she thought. She was riding this deathtrap for _him_. She wanted to help find his nephews for _him_. She came here in the first place for _him,_ whether she liked it or not (and she didn't know which side she leaned more toward at this point).

"Still good?"

"Yes!" Maka called out and, with that, the bike growled and raced faster into the brush.

After a half hour or so of jungle riding, Soul jerked the bike to a stop at the edge of the treeline looking out to the plains. Maka, hair muddled and head spinning, jolted out of limbo and sat up.

"What is it?" she asked as she pulled leaves and twigs out of her hair, casualties of war with the tropical brush.

"He's hunting for sport."

"What?"

An eye peeked over his shoulder as he said, "He didn't eat them." A crack in his voice forged a pause. "He just...left them for dead."

Unsettled, Maka stood up from behind him, pushing down on his shoulders for support, and followed his line of sight. What she saw made her eyes well up with tears. The bodies of apatosauruses littered the plains, hides ripped by claws and gushing blood. There had to be a dozen of them. One in particular, still alive unlike its brothers and sisters, lifted its head and groaned at her. A gash from its shoulder to its hind leg looked raw and a hole in its lower neck spurted blood. The pain had to be unbearable. Its eyes pleaded, no, _begged_ for help. The ghost flashed before Maka's eyes, wearing an inviting smile with shining green eyes, and she felt a _pang_ rattle in her chest. Her heart couldn't take it. _Not again,_ she thought. Acting on instinct, Maka swung her leg over the bike and got ready to sprint to the animal's aid, but Soul grabbed her arm before she even had the chance.

"Soul!" Maka yelled, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't be helpless and lost this time. She needed to _act_.

He frowned. "It's too late. Can't help it now."

"Let me go!" She pulled and pulled, but Soul didn't budge.

"There's nothing you can do."

"She needs my help!"

"Makaー"

"She can't die!"

" _Maka._ "

The apatosaurus moaned in agony and rocked on its side, struggling to get up but with no prevail. It reminded her of a fallen child on the playground, crying for their mother, but with more sorrow and gore. Another moan was stifled by a gargle as it began to choke on its own blood. The ghost's screams echoed in Maka's head as with a defining, spine-chilling _crunch_. She was forced to watch the life leave the animal's eyes, its head dropping like a stone on the ground as its body went still, and she felt something within her break.

The smile haunting her dreams frowned and the green eyes lost their shine; the phantom pierced her heart with the giant tooth she carried with her before fading into oblivion.

 _Snap._

Maka spun on her heels into Soul and sobbed into his shoulder. In that moment, nothing mattered. Not the past, not anything. It could all go to hell, for all she cared. She let him put an arm around her and run his fingers through her hair like all was right between them. No tension, just comfort.

The ghost of his lips pressed into her hairline as he uttered, "I'm sorry."

Her entire being pulsed with the anger, confusion, loneliness, and grief that had nearly consumed her once upon a time. She had suppressed it for years and now it bubbled up to the surface in a moment of weakness. Lashing out at Soul with punches, kicks, and curses like the young girl in pigtails and a pink sundress did in the past seemed like the best course of action, but instead she croaked, "I-I know."

His apology and her acceptance seemed to have deeper meaning, much more than what was intended, but now wasn't the time to address it. There was never a time if she had her way. Instead Maka basked in the moment, their quest and past forgotten, and let his strong arms carry the weight of her broken soul.

* * *

A cacophony of squawks filled the air and metal bars shook with excitement.

"Quiet! You oversized iguanas are getting on my nerves."

Crona hissed in Medusa's ear from between the bars and Demon squawked even louder for good measure. Tsu had her head down, tail fidgeting, and kept quiet. Wes's eyes were trained on Medusa's every move, calculating and curious.

"Shut up!"

The pack fussed and bickered with one another from within the confines of their small cages, air-biting and snarling. Usually, when boxed in these cages, they were preparing for inspection, but that wasn't the case today. The cage doors facing the outside world, the world the raptors had been kept from since hatching, rattled with loose hinges. There were no harnesses to hold them in place and the alpha wasn't there to give them orders. Nobody was there to close the doors on them but, rather, one person was ready to open the doors _for_ them.

Today the wolves of the Jurassic were going to get a taste of freedom.

Medusa read from the piece of paper she took from Stein's office, reviewing the simple seven-numbered code to unlock the doors. _Idiots,_ she thought. The code wasn't cryptic or guarded, therefore this kind of dirty deed had to be inevitable. The snake woman felt no remorse in this moment nor would she ever. All the anger and hatred boiled within her like red hot lava, and it was ready to spew out of her like a raging volcano. To her, everyone needed to pay. Her name and fortune were in shambles and somebody had to be blamed and punished for it. The snake would find her mouse or, as a certain blonde and albino came to mind, her _mice_.

 _Screech._

Crona lunged at the bars, right in Medusa's face, and the woman fell back onto her bottom. One of her stilettos broke and her designer skirt was now covered in dirt. Her eyes turned to slits as she cried out in frustration and struggled to her feet. She did _not_ deserve this. Medusa Gorgon was a woman to respect and _fear_. Obviously, the beast needed to be put in its place. _Never pay a red-eyed fool to tame dim-witted beasts if you can do it yourself,_ she thought. She'd put the fear of god in them. Grabbing a rock, she threw it at Crona and struck the raptor in the eye. "You ungrateful lizard! I'm the one who gave you life and this is how you repay me?! I'll have you fossilized for this! I have the power, you don't! You listen to me!"

Crona backed up into the corner, covering the bruised eye with her claws, and bared her teeth. The others roared and started thrashing wildly in their cages. _Crush rebellion,_ Medusa thought. She threatened to throw another rock, showing the others as she did, and Crona backed off, cowering. The others simmered down, though the red one snorted and the one with the white streaks stared boldly into her eyes. It had no affect on her. She glared back and whipped the rock at the white one's cage, thinking she could teach it a lesson in respect. The beast didn't budge and continued to stare.

"Stupid lizard," Medusa grumbled as she made her way to the walkway above. Wes growled and looked the other way whereas Crona looked after the snake woman as she climbed the stairs, eyes burning like fire.

"4242-564," Medusa whispered. "4242-564." She entered the code into the lock panel and her finger froze over the _enter_ button. A wave of hesitation hit her, but quickly dissipated as the weight of her resolve drove down on her shoulders. _They'll all pay_ , the snake woman thought with a wicked grin and, with that, she pressed the button without a second thought.

The cage doors shot up and, with sharp crows, the raptors darted into the brush in a frenzy. All, aside from Crona. She had stopped to look over her shoulder, glaring daggers into Medusa's eyes. The snake woman seemed unscathed, however, and raised her fist, shouting, "Don't look at me like that, you stupid lizard! Go!"

Crona squawked and took off after her siblings, leaving Medusa to marvel at her handiwork. They were going to pay for her losses, both of them. Soul and Maka. They'd rue the day they ever thought of crossing paths with herーthe snake in the grass.

They'd all pay in blood.


	5. Chapter 5: One Scene

It's been almost a year and no update. I'm so, so sorry. Sadly, this isn't a finished chapter. Just a scene to show you all that this story is not dead. I plan to finish eventually, so you'll have to bear with me. When this chapter is finished, I'll delete this "chapter" and upload this with the new material so you get a _real_ update. Otherwise, enjoy this raw, uncut scene that has taken me forever to finish. And please, be patient with me.

* * *

Silence stood between them like a stone wall. While Soul sought desperately to tear it down, to help _her_ even if he didn't know how or if he could, Maka seemed to keep building on it. No words could escape through the cracks; she patched up all the holes. All that could be heard was the humming of his bike and the rustling of brush as he drove through it.

Soul didn't like it.

The tears she wept for the apatosaurus back at the fields, how she had gripped onto him like a lifeline and granted him the _right_ to hold her in his arms again, jerked his heartstrings down into the hollow pit of his stomach. It hurt to watch her hurt. It felt good to carry the weight of her soul, but he had watched it fall to pieces in his hands. The strong soul he once knew, filled to the brim with courage and might, was now so frail. He didn't know what to do.

"Soul, why are we stopping?" Her voice sounded so natural, like she didn't just soak his jacket with tears an hour earlier. He didn't even realize he let off on the accelerator and eased on the brakes until the bike coasted to a stop. Maka whipped her head around and frowned. "I don't see the boys. What is it?"

"Are you OK?" he said with a low creak in his voice, glancing at her from over his shoulder. Jesse and Gabriel nagged at the back of his mind, begging him to move on, but Maka mattered too. She meant the world to him, his heart and soul. So fuck it, Jess and Gabe could hold on a bit longer. To save them, he needed her to be OK.

As if to answer, Maka reached over him and tampered with the clutch and kicked his foot off the rear brake pedal. The bike roared back to life and, with a jolt that made him nearly piss his pants, they were off again.

"F-Fuck! Maka!"

"We don't have time for this, Soul!"

"Stop!" He tried to push her back ( _without_ shoving her off the bike) to get control again, but she wouldn't have any of it. Her grip on the clutch was like a vice he couldn't open for the death of him. He couldn't even use the front brake because, at their speed, they'd flip over. He tried to stomp his foot on the rear brakes, seeing as how they packed less of a punch than the fronts, but the mad woman kept kicking the backs of his heels with her steel-toed boots. It hurt like a bitch.

How she stayed balanced, he didn't know. It was Maka for fuck's sake. She was capable of anything. Amongst all the chaos, he barely dodged an oncoming tree and Maka didn't seem phased. She wasn't even looking ahead. Damn it all, this woman was going to kill ( _him_ ) them.

"Maka, just listen!" He shouted back to her, trying desperately to put his foot down on the pedal. She didn't stop kicking. "You're going to get us killed!"

Nothing. She said nothing.

"Damn it, Maka!"

Still nothing, until, "S-Soul!"

 _Well that didn't sound good_ , he thought.

He risked a glance over his shoulder and the fear he saw etched into Maka's face surprised him. Her eyes were wide and she started to whip her head to either side of them, acting like she saw something, _something_ alarming enough to scare her (a feat he sometimes forgot was possible). Her hand let go of the clutch and the war over the brakes was over. He had control.

The bike raged on, regardless.

"Maka?" Soul asked against the wind, but she didn't answer. He couldn't read her for shit and that sent a overwhelming panic through his body. _What the hell was going on?_

Maka stood up quickly with her hands pressing down on his shoulders, head whipping side to side. Suddenly, she yelled, "There!" Her finger pointed to the rustling brush surrounding them with such certainty that he couldn't grasp. Soul didn't see anything.

"Maka, what are youー"

 _Squawk_.

 _Oh_ , Soul thought, his heart soaring up into his throat. _Oh shit._

He caught a flash of red, purple, black, and white streaking alongside him, and his body went rigid. Another distinct _squawk_ , a screech, a growl, and the sound of claws pounding into the dirt. Everything went into slow motion. It was all a dream. Soul swore it was nothing more. It couldn't be real.

" _Maka! Soul!"_ Dean yelled into the radio as the RC copter stayed hot on their trail. " _The raptors are out of containment!"_

 _No shit, Sherlock_ , Soul thought with a scowl. _Who the hell let them out?!_

"Soul!" Maka shrieked in his ear, reaching over his shoulder to jerk the bike to the right. He tried to fight her, needed to keep control, but then a glint of blood red barreled in from the left and everything came into focus.

"Shit!" Soul followed Maka's movement and swerved the bike to the right. They just barely dodged the oncoming red barrage of claws and teeth.

 _Squawk._

"Demon, back off!" he ordered, and the raptor snapped at his heels and glared at him with cold eyes. Soul's didn't waver. The fire sparking in Demon's eyes ignited with his own and, suddenly, it clicked in his head. It was a challenge to his authority. An attempt to take control. Shit, he _really_ didn't have time to deal with Demon's power-hungry shenanigans. He couldn't catch a break for the death of him.

More screeches and growls filled the air. Demon, Wes, Tsu, Crona. They were all here. His pack family. Damn, if it weren't for Demon's shit and the situation with his nephews, he could've been enjoying this right now. Key word, _could've_.

A sharp tug to his rifle sling, catching on his neck, jarred him out of his thoughts and started choking him. One of his hands grabbed the sling and started pulling while the other tried to steer the bike; it wouldn't be long until he lost control.

"M-Maka, _don't_!" Soul grunted. No way in hell he'd let her go trigger happy on his raptors, even _if_ Demon was being a Jurassic dick-o-saurus right now.

"They're going to kill us, _Soul!_ " she yelled, and he felt the barrel of the rifle dig into his shoulder. In a minute, all hell would break lose in the form of a crazy blonde firing a rifle off his back at _his_ raptors. _Fuck_.

"I can handle it!"

"You call _this_ handling it?!"

Demon squawked and inched closer to the bike. The look in the raptor's eyes gleamed with mischief but smoldered with danger. Wouldn't be long before Demon decided stop with the childish antics and move onto flossing his teeth with him and Maka. The beast's mean streak was bound to reach its pique at this rate. So Maka had a point, as much as Soul hated to admit it. Was he _really_ handling it? The snarling lizard to his left certainly begged to differ.

" _Hey, who let you in here_ _一_ _don't touch that! Don't_ _一"_ Dean called out over the radio. His voice sounded higher than usual. Puberty, maybe? With all that was going on around him, Soul couldn't even get a laugh out of his own joke. Typical. " _S-Stop that_ _一_ _No!"_ The RC swerved in front of them on an axis, nearly taking off his head, before settling again. Then, after all of the jumbling, shrieking, and static taking over the line passed, Soul heard something so loud, he nearly crashed the bike.

" _SOUL!"_

His eardrums rattled to a voice that could launch into the stratosphere on command. There was only one loudmouth Soul knew with vocal chords like _that_. The owner of said vocal chords never ceased to irk him (but on occasion could impress and amuse him). Loyal, though an idiot half the time, Soul could count on him to be dependable when certain situations called for it. Though, he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear the man talk in shouts while playing a dangerous game of Jurassic tag with his raptors.

"Blake?" A simple question. Just to make sure he wasn't delusional. Seeing as how the rifle on his shoulder eased up, Maka had heard him too which served as a slight relief. Then Demon made another pass at his foot and all thoughts of relief flew out the window.

" _Bro, don't let that red mutt with an ego show you up. I thought I taught you better than that."_

"What?" The thought of Blake trying to be the voice of reason seemed like a joke. A sick, twisted joke. Sure, Blake had his moments, but he wasn't the type to give the best advice. Only when pigs fly would he make a lick of good judgement, Soul thought.

" _Show Demon who's the alpha. Last time I checked that was supposed to be you, dumbass."_

If Soul looked up, he'd surely see a hog with a pair of angel wings soaring in the sky. What a time to be alive. A time where Blake made sense and Soul didn't have enough snark to counter it because _it made fucking sense, shit._

"Soul? What's going on?" Maka asked. Her grip on his rifle was slack. If there ever was a time to keep a blonde with a serious temper from going trigger happy, it was now. Soul jerked the rifle sling and ignored her yelp followed by the predicted, "What the hell, Soul?!"

"No shooting my raptors. I've got this." Did he? It wasn't all set in stone in his head, but Blake made his point. _He_ was the alpha. And he was doing a horrendous job of keeping his little problematic Jurassic family in line. He needed _order_.

"Excuse me?" Her tone rang with offense, and suddenly Soul realized Maka Albarn was the goddess of chaos in his life, not _order_. The demonic raptor to his left had nothing on her. Absolutely nothing.

 _Squawk_.

"SOUL!"

Lord pray for him.

A lot of jumbling and yelling suddenly carried over the radio until, " _Maka! Soul!"_ It was the kid. He'd actually wrestled with Blake for the radio and lived the tell the tale. Impressive, Soul had to admit. " _Are you two alright?"_

"Not so much," Maka replied, and she actually had the _gall_ to jab him in the side while he was driving the bike with one of his raptors trying to make a move up the pack totem pole. Did she have a _death wish_?

"I can handle this, kid." He looked to his right and caught Wes's eye. "I know I can."

" _Damn straight! Take it to'em, Soul."_

" _Enough! Mr. Barrett, you shouldn't be here. Protocol says you should be at the docks boarding the boat."_

" _And leave my partner?"_ A long, hearty chuckle sounded through the radio. Very obnoxious, typical for him. " _No way in hell. You're stuck with me, kiddo."_

Soul wouldn't dare to say it out loud, but Blake was a one in a million kind of friend. Loud, unbearable, and cocky, but a real friend. And Soul had treated him like shit half the time. Some friend he was.

"Thanks, Blake," he said, mostly under his breath because he couldn't let this get to Blake's head. The man had the ego the size of...well, he didn't know. Too big for an appropriate comparison, that's for sure.

" _No problem, broski!"_

 _Broski_. Wow. No words. But he had to love the guy for his clear sense of loyalty.

A long, drawn-out sigh. " _Well aren't I lucky,"_ the kid drawled. A lot could be said about his tone—with not a drop of _cheer_ to be heard—but the thought of being trapped at the Control Center with Blake sounded like a _tall order_ , so Soul let it be.

" _Yep!"_ There was enough _cheer_ in Blake's voice for the both of them anyway.

A hand tugged at Soul's ear and he winced. " _Soul_ ," an all too familiar voice hissed. "Time for you to _handle it_ before it's chow time and we're the main course."

"They won't eat us," he replied, offended. His raptors wouldn't _eat_ them. He'd like to think he taught them better than that—completely forgoing the Hiro incident earlier that day, _light years_ ago. He trusted Wes, Tsu, Demon, and Crona. Though, the cold blooded stare and snarl from the spoiled brat to Soul's left wasn't winning any brownie points for him.

Demon made another pass at their feet, this time scraping Maka's boot and eliciting a sharp shriek from her, which didn't sit well with Soul. He needed to put his foot down. It was now or never.

" _Who's the alpha, Soul?"_ Blake barked into the radio.

"I'm the alpha," Soul mumbled, and Demon took another bite at Maka's boot. She rose up in her seat, unbalanced, and tightened her hold on him. For a second, he was distracted.

" _I can't hear you!"_

He blinked and shook his head. "I'm the alpha."

" _A bit louder for the people in the back!"_

"I'm the fucking alpha!"

Without too much thought, Soul tugged at and dropped his foot on the brakes, bringing his bike to a roaring, skidding stop. Maka nearly catapulted over him. He cringed at the eminent repercussions of that, but luckily she managed to hold on. To him. He couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips. Even amongst all this chaos, he felt smug about how her arms fit tightly around him. A perfect fit.

 _Squawk._

"S-Soul."

He looked up and saw that his bike's front tire was toe-to-toe with Demon's talons. The nasty beast had the gall to growl in his face, the _alpha's_ face, and Soul narrowed his eyes. The arms around him squeezed harder until he nearly lost his breath.

"Maka," he grunted. "Easy on the iron grip." He felt her scowl against his back, but she released him, slowly. Her stare burnt a hole in his back even though it focused on the snarling miscreant in front of him. Her body, taut, moved away from his. She shifted toward the edge of seat, leaving him cold and abandoned. But it was best this way. He wanted distance between her and his raptors, anyway.

"Easy, Demon. I'm tired of your shit. Stop being a brat and listen to me."

Demon lunged forward, hissing, and Maka fell off the back of the bike. _Shit._

The raptor tilted his head, curious, and Soul jumped off the bike and raised his hands. At that, Demon raised his claws and arched his tail, baring his teeth.

"Stay still," Soul whispered over his shoulder. "Don't give him a targ—Oh, fuck me."

Tsu and Crona, otherwise incognito up to this point, stood over Maka and frisked her with their noses. Crona stood further off, reaching to sniff the tip of Maka's boot. Tsu, meanwhile, took a more direct approach. Her rough breath parted Maka's bangs and ruffled her clothes. _So much for keeping distance between them,_ he thought.

"No sudden moves," he tried. In return, Maka flipped him the bird. Tsu and Crona didn't stir and continued their sniffing assault, as luck would have it. He rolled his eyes.

Soul faced Demon again, and the sharp-toothed delinquent had taken a step closer and snarled in his face. His breath, putrid. It reeked of dead pig. Compliments of this morning, no doubt.

"Stand down."

 _Squawk._

"Quit dicking around!"

Demon's claws dug into the dirt and the beast sneered.

"Did you just threaten a velociraptor?" Maka said through grit teeth. "A velociraptor, Soul?"

"Shh, I'm handling this."

"Look at me and tell me how well you're _handling_ this."

He spared a glance just as Crona dared to sink her teeth into Maka's boot and, as luck would _not_ have it, Maka promptly yelped her surprise and kicked off her boot in Crona's face before crawling back to the bike. He watched Crona, disgruntled, screech, Tsu bare her teeth, Demon ready to charge, while Maka reached for his rifle. All hell was about to break loose.

In a moment of desperation, Soul put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The trio hesitated, and Maka continued to struggle with the rifle with its strap snagged on the bike.

"Maka, don't."

She ignored him.

"Maka, please," he begged, cringing when the strap broke free. "Don't shoot."

She pointed the gun at Crona.

"Maka!"

The raptor hissed her complaint, but took a step back. She looked down the barrel, then at Maka, and lowered her head. An animal, yes, but she was able to comprehend the power behind a loaded gun. The other two froze, staring and frantic.

"Maka, give me a chance."

She hesitated. Despite all that he expected from her, she hesitated and lowered the gun, tears swelling in her eyes. Then, as if on cue, the beta arrived on scene and barked orders to his flock.

Wes. The whistle worked, though too close for comfort. Demon, Tsu, and Crona fell back in line and squawked their allegiance. Demon, begrudgingly so. The mongrel made sure to give Soul the stink eye before falling back under Wes. Crona kept her distance and Tsu and Demon barricaded her from the bike. Upsetting, but understandable.

Soul sauntered over to Maka and carefully took the gun out of her shaking hands. He helped her up and eased her back onto the bike, whispering, "We better go."

She nodded, mumbling, "It looked straight through me, Soul. So sad and afraid, I couldn't—"

"I know." Soul jumped back on the bike and Maka nestled back into place. Arms around him, as it should be.

"I'm sorry," she said into his back. A moment. "You could have had dogs, Soul, but no. You settled for velociraptors. This is insanity."

"Welcome to my world," he said with a pinch of sarcasm and a weak chuckle, and the bike revved back to life.

When she thought he wasn't listening, he heard her say, "I hope your nephews are welcome here."

As the bike continued its trek through the brush, with a scaley company now in tow, Soul gripped onto hope and prayed his nephews were resourceful enough to stay alive. Prayed that Asura hadn't gotten to them yet.

He just had to hope for the best.

* * *

Reviews fuel the hungry writer. The more feedback I get, the more motivation I get to keep working on this. So keep that in mind, hungry readers. Until next time!


End file.
